By Staff Reports – November 29, 2025
https://dailyjournal.net/2025/11/29/johnson-county-higher-education-news-nov-29
Franklin College students showcased their innovation skills at TechPoint’s inaugural Xtern Challenge hosted by MISO, or Midcontinent Independent System Operator, on Oct. 10. The competition invited students from across Indiana to collaborate in creating tools that could help maintain a more reliable and cost-effective energy grid, according to a news release from the college.
Students from a variety of schools first met during a virtual kick-off on Sept. 29. They then had until Oct. 10 to prepare for the challenge. When they met at TechPoint, the teams of students worked with each other and industry mentors to produce solutions to stabilize the Midwest energy grid and make it more equitable, the news release says.
Seth Poindexter, a sophomore from Columbus, was on the second-place team. He is a computer science and data science major with a minor in mathematics. He is a member of the Math and Computing Club and a supplemental instructor.
“The XTern Challenge was a great opportunity to network with both peers in our teams and experts at TechPoint and MISO. It also pushed us to solve a real-world problem by building a project that we can put on our resumes,” Poindexter said.
Kennedy Brown, a sophomore software engineering major from Boggstown, was on the team that received special recognition for their project. She is in the Math and Computing Mentor/Mentee program. She is also a member of Commuter Student Association, Earth Club and a tutor in the Math Study Center.
“The Xtern Challenge was an incredible experience. It was my first time doing any event of this nature and I was pleasantly surprised. It gave me the opportunity to not only learn new technical skills when building our solution, but also new soft skills. I learned to collaborate with a team, connect with others and communicate ideas effectively. Working with a team of only three rather than five, I also learned adaptability. These skills I learned at the Xtern Challenge are exactly those needed to succeed in a future career, and I am grateful to have gotten this opportunity,” Brown said.
Although Nyasha Choga, a junior international student from Harare, Zimbabwe, who lives in Franklin, was on a team that did not place in the challenge, he still found the experience rewarding. Choga is an Adobe Student Ambassador, vice president of the Math and Computing Club, an IT specialist student worker in the Franklin College Office of Information Technology Services, a member of Student Foundation, a member of the Digital Fluency Team and a member of the College’s esports team, according to the news release.
“Participating in the challenge allowed me to apply full-stack development and AI integration to real-world energy data challenges. Collaborating with my team to build a sentiment-driven analytics dashboard deepened my technical expertise and reinforced my commitment to leveraging technology for data-driven decision making,” Choga said.
Nathan Vujaklija also participated in the challenge. He is a sophomore from Lowell with a major in software engineering and a minor in data science. He is on the track and field team and serves as scholarship chair and head of health and safety for Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
“As someone majoring in software engineering and genuinely loving technology, this competition was exactly what I was looking for. It gave me the chance to dive into practical problem-solving with a team, and I honestly feel a lot more confident taking on group challenges now. I’m grateful for the chance and hope to use what I’ve learned going forward,” Vujaklija said.
Andrew Rosner, Franklin College’s director of digital fluency, was proud of students’ performances at the challenge, he said in the news release.
“They tackled a complex, real-world problem about energy and public policy with creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. Their success reflects the curiosity, problem-solving mindset, and digital fluency we strive to cultivate every day at Franklin College,” Rosner said.
