Mae Pierce, a 17-year-old Danville High School senior, placed 10th in the nation in July for her Technology Student Association (TSA) Transportation Modeling project inspired by Grace on the Go. Her model, Curbside Connections, earned her first place at the Kentucky state competition in April, which sent her to nationals in Nashville at the Opryland Hotel this summer where she finished in the Top 10. She is the first Danville High School student to make it to TSA’s national competition, and her placement in the Top 10 is a tremendous accomplishment. Read on to learn more about how Mae made this happen…
Mae Pierce has been in the TSA club at Danville High School, sponsored by Mr. Caleb Wetmore, since sophomore year and enjoys the way it combines her love of engineering and art through its various competition categories. When the theme of the Transportation Modeling category was announced as “FOOD TRUCK” earlier this year, Pierce knew exactly what she wanted to do - she’d make her own version of Grace on the Go. She quickly got to work on building her own mobile community cafe.
Pierce has been well aware of the Grace Cafe mission, having been a child in the original brick and mortar nonprofit on 4th street when it was operating between 2015-2020. She always loved the mission and the atmosphere, and was so glad to see it return as a mobile version in 2024. In addition, as a DHS student, she saw firsthand the positive impact of Grace Cafe’s weekly Snack Bag program, where every Wednesday students who sign up get a free meal lovingly packed and delivered by volunteers. Pierce said, “The Snack Bag program makes all the students so happy here.”
Pierce had interviewed Grace Cafe executive director, Jennifer Earle, about Grace on the Go for the DHS newspaper, The Crow’s Nest, and learned more about the importance of having a mobile nonprofit cafe that could get to people facing' transportation barriers.
“I was really interested in the concept of the price of a meal being whatever you need it to be,” Pierce said. “I see Grace on the Go as the best way to get food to the people who most need it.” The judges at the state and national competition thought so too and really connected with Pierce’s pitch, process, and purpose of her design, which took her 250 hours to complete. Pierce’s Curbside Connections is 15.5" by 15.5" and made of PLA plastic, wood, and various detailing materials, then painted with acrylic and spray paint.
With Pierce’s love of visual art and engineering, after graduation in May 2026 she is hoping to pursue a college program that combines both of these passions.
Our Graceful Community is so proud of Mae Pierce’s inspiration, hard work, and abilities to excel in this way. We wish her the best in her future success in the STEM arena.