Phoenix Challenge Award Winners

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--Two and a half days of intense competition at the 2009 International Phoenix Challenge High School Flexo Competition culminated in a first-place award and $1,000 scholarships each for Hannah Plavnick and Stephanie Hammond. The team was from Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The duo were declared the winners of the twelfth Annual International Phoenix Challenge Flexo Skills Competition, which took place at the Harper National Flexographic Center at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, N.C. April 1-3, 2009.

The pair won the first place award by earning this year’s highest combined scores in the contest’s five exams: written knowledge, math, prepress proficiency, press operation and platemaking. In addition to the two $1,000 Phoenix Challenge Foundation Scholarships, the winning team took home the 2009 Harper Flexo High School of the Year trophy cup, for display at its school.

“I could tell when talking to Hannah Plavnick and Stephanie Hammond that they were here to win,” said Bettylyn Krafft, Phoenix Challenge Foundation executive director. “Hannah Plavnick was on the team that won in 2008 and she had the determination to try for the second time. They spent many long hours timing themselves at the press and practicing for the press, as well as many hours studying for the level one test. It was great to see all the hard work that these students have put in to studying for the competition payoff.”

It was a very close race between second and third place this year, but
Brittney Skinner and Brandon Smith, representing Fairfield Career & Technology Center in Winnsboro, S.C., walked away from the competition with medals for their second-place win, scholarships for $500, and a plaque for the school to commemorate the win. The second place scholarships this year were sponsored by Howard and Ann Vreeland.

Abdul Murad and Grant Izukawa, of the Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School, Mississauga, Canada, won the third place position in competing against 20 teams during the competition.

Bettylyn Krafft said, “The rivalry gets more challenging every year as the best high school students in the United States and Canada train and prepare vigorously and tenaciously for this flexographic competition, with all eyes on the top awards.”