For Bellingham High School senior Katie Knies, this spring’s International Bridge Building Contest in Chicago was more than just a competition; it was the culmination of months of dedication, collaboration, and community support. Thanks in part to donor funding from the Bellingham Public Schools Foundation, Katie traveled across the country to represent her school on a national stage and returned home with 2nd place overall and the contest’s prestigious Architectural Award for design.
Katie was one of a select number of students nationwide who qualified for the international contest, held in late April at the Illinois Institute for Technology in Chicago. As many public schools face limitations on travel and extracurricular budgets, Katie’s opportunity to attend depended on outside support. The Foundation stepped in to help fund her travel and lodging, making it possible for her to share her skills on a national level.
It was her first time visiting Chicago, and her first time competing on such a large stage. She carried with her a carefully constructed bridge weighing just over 8 grams, designed through extensive trial and error. After being tested under intense pressure, her bridge held more than 110 pounds before breaking, a feat that placed her second among competitors from across the country.
Katie’s path to engineering started in an unlikely place. Two significant knee injuries in high school took her out of competitive sports, a big shift for someone who had once spent most of her time as an athlete. But that change opened up time and space for something new.
“I had a lot more hours after school,” she said, “and I ended up pouring them into the engineering lab.” That time was filled with prototypes, testing, rebuilding, and researching, ultimately leading to a competitive edge honed by persistence.
While the bridge competition is individual by design, the process of getting there was anything but solitary. Katie worked closely with her classmate, junior Rylan Beal, throughout the year, sharing design concepts and test results. Both students challenged each other to improve, and their partnership proved incredibly effective: Rylan placed 8th at the international contest this year, after finishing 2nd the year prior.
Katie credits this work with Rylan and other classmates with helping her grow not just as a builder, but as a thinker.
“I definitely improved faster because we were sharing what worked and what didn’t,” she said. “We built off each other’s ideas.”
Katie’s dedication extends beyond bridge building. She’s also an active member of her school’s VEX Robotics team, where she plays a leadership role in documenting the team’s progress and process, skills that align closely with the engineering mindset. She helped transform the team’s engineering notebook this year, which contributed to a stronger showing at competitions.
With graduation around the corner, Katie is looking ahead. She’s headed to Purdue University in the fall to study engineering, with an interest in either mechanical or chemical disciplines.
“I’m really excited to explore,” she said. “There are so many tools and labs. I can’t wait to dive in.”
Your impact in action
Katie’s story is one of determination, resilience, and excellence—but it’s also a story made possible by you. Donor support made it feasible for her to travel, compete, and grow.
- $250 supports registration and materials for one team.
- $500 can fund a full year’s worth of prototype supplies.
- $1,200 covers the cost of a student’s travel to a national competition.
When you give to the Bellingham Public Schools Foundation, you’re doing more than writing a check. You’re investing in young minds, in opportunities that build confidence, in futures that otherwise might remain out of reach.
Thanks to you, Katie didn’t just build a bridge—she built a future.
