The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) congratulated Ian Payba and Jeter Hondo for winning the 2026 Hawai‘i Bridge Builder Competition. The two Maui High School juniors received their awards and a $1,000 cash prize for their school at the 17th annual Hawai‘i STEM Conference on April 15 and 16 at the Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort.

“We brought the AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) bridge builder competition to Hawai‘i youth to provide the opportunity for outside-the-classroom experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” said HDOT Director Ed Sniffen in a press release. “As STEM-related jobs account for about one-third of the U.S. workforce, we actively partner with the [Hawai‘i] Department of Education to prepare our local students for bright futures ahead.”

Hosted by HDOT in partnership with the Maui Economic Development Board’s STEMworks program, the Hawai‘i Bridge Builder Competition was open to all 11th and 12th graders at all high schools in the state. Participation required teams of two to build models out of the provided materials, balsa wood and glue, with the best strength-to-weight ratio. Students prepared documentation of their process, a professional portfolio and a presentation to be reviewed by industry experts and tested their models live at the Hawai‘i STEM Conference.

The 10 2026 finalists hail from King Kekaulike High School, Maui High School, Kea‘au High School, Kaua‘i High School and Lahainaluna High School.