A chance to broaden their horizons has turned into a trip to Jackson in March for two Warren Central High School students.

Zaria Gibson and Memorie Day placed as finalists Friday in the photography and fashion design categories at the Mississippi Technology Student Association Central District Competition at Vicksburg Convention Center.

Gibson, a senior planning to attend Mississippi College next year, designed a paisley red, 17th century-style set of period clothing, including a dress, skirt and shirt.

“I did some mock-ups and patterns,” Gibson said. “It’s good if you want to do more in fashion.”

Day, a junior, was a finalist in photographic technology, which along with fashion design, biotechnology design, essay writing, manufacturing prototype and structural engineering composed 18 categories in which teams of two to 12 students from 35 middle and high schools competed.

Day’s photo set consisted of 15 nature shots and a detailed explanation of how each was edited, WCHS team advisor Tina Hodnett said. It was done according to the event’s theme, Designing Your Dreams. Day also competed and finished fourth in the debating technological issues category, where the topic was funding for devices such as iPads and other gadgets used in schools.

“It gives us a better look at the issue,” Day said after the debate. “More of what we see in the real world.”

“I’m excited because it’s the first time we’ve had a TSA in 12 years,” Hodnett said, adding the curious pairing of fashion design, debate and photography gave the two a chance to become more well-rounded.

The state competition is March 16-18 at the Jackson Marriott. Only one winner from there will advance to the national competition June 29-July 2 in Dallas.

Projects in Friday’s district competition ran the gamut from static, science fair-style displays to video presentations and structural models.

Students don’t have to maintain certain grade point average to participate, said Shanta Villanueva, TSA state coordinator for Mississippi. They must only express an interest in competing to their respective school’s TSA advisors.

“A lot of these students will go on to college in math and engineering,” Villanueva said. “We have a lot of hands-on projects. Another theme of our was cyber-spying.”

A total of 609 students and advisors took part in Friday’s preliminary, according to event logs.

“This is the largest competition I’ve ever had,” Villanueva said.