Karrie Meyers – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … The Mile High Academy (MHA) advanced robotics team, the Robostangs, displayed exceptional skill and innovation at the FIRST Tech Challenge held in Orlando, Florida, April 14. Competing among 13 teams from across the United States, the team demonstrated outstanding performance, securing multiple awards and accolades, including the Inspire Award.

The journey began on April 13, as the team arrived at the Forest Lake Academy campus in Apopka, Florida, unpacked, settled in, worked on their robot, and enjoyed dinner together. Witnessing the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket unexpectedly added to their excitement, setting the stage for an inspiring weekend. Saturday was spent at church followed by team bonding at the beach, preparing them for the main event on April 14.

Amidst fierce competition, the Robostangs emerged victorious, clinching three prestigious awards:

  • Inspire Award – First Place: Recognizing the team’s embodiment of the challenges of the FIRST Tech Challenge program, their role as ambassadors for FIRST programs, and their commitment to Gracious Professionalism® both on and off the playing field. This award acknowledges the team’s exceptional performance in robot design, community engagement, and professionalism.
  • Willing Alliance – First Team Selected: Teaming up with Wait4iT from Adventist Christian Academy of Raleigh, North Carolina, the Robostangs excelled as part of the winning alliance in the final match, demonstrating strategic collaboration and teamwork.
  • Innovate Award Sponsored by RTX – Second Place: Celebrating the team’s imaginative thinking, ingenuity, and creativity in bringing their robot designs to life. This award acknowledges the team’s innovative approach to solving specific components of the FIRST Tech Challenge game, emphasizing elegant design, robustness, and ‘out of the box’ thinking.

“I am incredibly proud of our accomplishments over the whole season,” said Adelaide Eno, MHA junior. “I think the culmination of those efforts took the form of our Inspire award. The award spoke for the late nights and the early mornings, and the boundaries we broke in order to push ourselves to be our best.”

She continued, “At the end of the day, it’s just a trophy on a shelf, but it helps remind me about the commitment I have made to my team and how much of a commitment they have made to me.”

After the intense competition, the Robostangs unwound with a visit to Magic Kingdom, April 15, fostering camaraderie and team spirit before returning home to Mile High Academy the next day.

Continuing their commitment to community engagement, on April 17, the team demonstrated their robot and answered questions about its functionality at the Highlands Ranch Library in the Town Center.

When asked for advice to incoming robotics teammates, Danny Luna, MHA sophomore, said to remember that “being part of the robotics team is a growing experience. It really builds your perseverance, having to fail and fix, fail and fix.”

This year there were three MHA seniors who were on the trip. Eno was in a unique position this year as her brother, Seth, was also on the team. “I watched him learn Java just to make the best code he could, and I watched him stay up until 10:00 p.m. some nights at the school with [seniors] Jonas and Daniela to finish the robot. I’m so grateful for how hard they work, and I’m so grateful that they are still working hard now to make sure that we are set for next year, so that we can continue where they left off.”

The Robostang’s performance not only exemplifies the school’s dedication to STEM education and their commitment to inspiring future generations of innovators but is also inspired by the vision of Adventist Robotics.

“I want to thank Adventist Robotics for creating a space where we can showcase our skills in a way that is competitive and fun,” said Luna.

Ridge Tull, who has taught both of MHA’s beginning and advanced robotics classes for the past two years, expressed his pride in the team’s achievements. “Our team not only proved themselves during the competition but also have left an impression on the community through their outreach and teamwork this school year. They continue to inspire and pave the way for future innovators. I look forward to watching them continue their journey, applying the valuable life lessons they learn through discovery and exploration.”

—Karrie Meyers is the marketing and development coordinator at Mile High Academy. Photos supplied.