Last weekend, St. Peter’s School, representing Richland County, participated in
the Destination Imagination Tournament at Beachwood High School, earning two trophies and an invitation to compete at the state level.
The elementary team won the prestigious DaVinci Award for their creativity and took 3rd place in the Scientific category. The middle school team earned 2nd place in the Fine Arts category for their captivating performance.
With over 20,000 students from across the globe participating annually, Destination Imagination fosters creativity, teamwork, and critical thinking skills in students. St. Peter’s involvement in this competition is an exciting extension of the school’s Gifted and Talented programming, providing students with hands-on opportunities to apply their talents and explore new areas of interest.
Dr. Parente, St. Peter’s Head of School, shared that the idea came from a conversation she and Anne Petrie, St. Peter’s STEM teacher, had at the end of last school year. “Central to our mission is inspiring and preparing students to lead lives of purpose by developing their unique gifts and interests. This particular group of students are in our Gifted and Talented program for their identified strengths in various subjects—English language arts, science, creative thinking, and/or math.
When Anne shared her experience with DI, it seemed like a magical opportunity to see what they could do with their combined talents. But it wasn’t magic, it was hard work, and I am so grateful to Anne for her dedication and leadership in reintroducing this creative, problem-solving opportunity for students at St. Peter’s.”
The elementary team consists of Nola Burnett (5th Grade), Case Harris (1st grade), Elizabeth Hoyek (4 th ), Mattie McGuire (3rd Grade), Oliver Mulherin (4th Grade), Henry Richlovsky (3rd Grade), and Theo Rohl (4th Grade). Their project featured research on potential life on Mars, a Technobabble translator, and a 3D-printed MOXIE, demonstrating their innovative approach to scientific problem-solving.
Elementary team member Oliver Mulherin, who created the Technobabble Translator, shared, “Destination Imagination was a very good experience for me because I formed new friendships. I liked to write out our plans for the performance on the whiteboards.”
His teammate Theo Rohl, who designed the 3D-printed MOXIE, echoed the sentiment, saying, “I had a positive experience with DI. I loved the friendly environment and the fun opportunities we got. It really helped me express my creativity.”
For Nola Burnett, another team member, the experience was transformative. “Destination Imagination has encouraged me to learn different scientific concepts and think outside the box.”
Meanwhile, the middle school team, consisting of Katie Crundwell (6th Grade), Liam Jones
(7th), Justin King (7th), Lily Richlovsky (7th), and Aidan Stoner (7th), earned recognition for
their performance, which told the story of a young Phillip Morris traveling through time to learn about the profound impact his small tobacco shop would have on millions of lives.
Middle school team member Lily Richlovsky, who wrote the script, reflected on her experience. “I enjoyed the whole process—from writing the script, to designing a set that could be transformed from the 1800s to the 1960s and from a storefront to a hospital in under 30 seconds, to designing the costumes and getting to work with, better know, and create memories with my teammates.”
The students worked tirelessly after school and on weekends to complete their projects, which were entirely student-led, created, and presented. Their Team Manager and parents were not even allowed to help them carry their materials into the competition venue.
They also worked to prepare for the Instant Challenge, a problem they are presented with on the spot and have five minutes to solve as a team at the competition.
Parents valued the way the program’s structure fosters critical and creative thinking while also promoting both independence and teamwork. Joe Mulherin, Oliver’s father, remarked,
“Destination Imagination was a great experience for the St. Peter’s team. Being student-led, it gave them the power and confidence to lead a big, long-term project that was a combination of STEM and creative thinking. We love that it was a variety of ages, and everyone had a chance to shine in their elements.”
Dr. Nollah, Nola’s mother, added, “As a parent, Destination Imagination provides students with a creative outlet while incorporating scientific skills and problem-solving. Destination Imagination participants will be true leaders in the future.”
Reflecting on the team’s achievements, Petrie expressed her pride. “I am so proud of both
teams as they far exceeded my expectations. They started working on this project in mid-
September and performed beautifully on Saturday, March 1. This was our first year competing, and we came home with two trophies and an invitation to compete on the state level.
Trophies are fun, but I’m most proud of the teamwork, creative thoughts, and perseverance they demonstrated in every aspect of the competition.”
With the success of their first year, St. Peter’s School hopes to build on this foundation and
continue fostering creativity, problem-solving, and leadership among students.
