Hampton City Schools students shine in Odyssey of the Mind competition

Hampton City Schools students recently showcased their creativity and problem-solving skills at the Odyssey of the Mind (OM) competition, earning top placements across multiple divisions. Odyssey of the Mind is an international program that challenges students to think critically and work collaboratively to solve complex problems through engineering, performance, and artistic design. The competition was held on Saturday March 22, 2025, at Menchville High School. Congratulations to our outstanding teams.

Phenix PreK-8 School, under the direction of Courtney Worrell, placed first in Problem 3, Division 2. The team members were Aila Robertson, Marcus Hicks, Mya Benkowitsch, Lyla Rider, Zalah Zarif, Gavin Smith, and Aubrey Napier.

The Phenix team performed their solution to the Long Term Problem which challenged them to create a dinner party inspired by classic literature. Students were challenged with creating an original backdrop, props, costumes, and writing an eight-minute original skit. They will now move on to the state tournament on April 26.

“Students worked hard to come up with their original, creative performance and showed amazing team work and tenacity,” said Worrell.

Armstrong School for the Arts, under the direction of Robin Ward, received the Creative Thinkers Award in Problem 6, Primary Division. Team members included Jonah Smith, Lauryn Phillpott, Thomas Jacobs, Zoe Puckett, Neerie Patterson, Henry Dash, and Iris Brewer.

Bryan Elementary School, under the direction of Deana Kolan, placed second in Problem 1, Division 1. The team included Kaden Andrews, Ja'Marri Bishop, Trinity Cornwell, Jayden Herbert, Barry Johnson, Serenity Murphy, and Rose Simmons.

Machen Elementary School, under the direction of Dawn Somerset, placed second in Problem 4, Division 1. The Machen team included Brantley Wertz, Samantha Poor, Gia Cccoy-Dickerson, Alana Chinchilla, Fenyx Moreno, and Anya Lee Jones.

Kilgore Gifted Center, under the direction of Masao Green, placed second in Problem 3, Division 2. The team included Jocelyn Estacion, Penina Faison, Micah Josaphat, Oliva Manners, and Kristine Neselrod-Thornton.

All of these talented students wowed the judges with their imaginative solutions, teamwork, and out-of-the-box thinking. Their hard work, enthusiasm, and incredible performances were truly inspiring. Best of luck to Phenix at the state finals!

About Odyssey of the Mind

Odyssey of the Mind is an international creative problem-solving program that engages students in their learning by allowing their knowledge and ideas to come to life in an exciting, productive environment. Each team of seven students is given a problem they must solve themselves. The team-created performance lasts for eight minutes and presents the team’s solution to a problem in the form of a student-created skit. The team creates all parts of the problem’s solution such as props, costumes, and technical components. The team also participates in a spontaneous thinking portion at the competition.

Participants build self-confidence, develop life skills, create new friendships, and are able to recognize and explore their true potential. OM proves that students can have fun while they learn.