March 28, 2024

RoboBees Win ‘Excellence’ in Robotics Competition

Posted by The Patuxent Partnership
Pax II
By Cory Tutor,  11th grade, Forrest Center/Great Mills HS,
Jocelyn & Jared Wilkins, 11th, 12th grade home schooled

RoboBees Pentagon visit

RoboBees Pentagon visit

 Leonardtown, MD – FIRST robotics Team 836, The RoboBees, from the Dr. James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center in Leonardtown, MD competed in the regional Washington, D.C. robotics competition, finishing in 7th place and winning the Excellence in Engineering Award for the design and climbing ability of their robot.

Fifty-nine teams competed in the tournament, featuring teams from throughout the country as well as international participation by teams from Israel and Brazil.  The RoboBees had a rough start, having a few difficulties with their shooting mechanism.   But after troubleshooting, the team rose in the ranks and was among the top eight in the field.  “It was incredible,” said Kyle Schmidt, 9th grader from Great Mills High School.

In addition to the tournament, members from the team paid a rare visit to the Pentagon, visiting the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Air Programs, Mr. Richard Gilpin and his staff.  The visit was set up by CDR Mark Lucas, a mentor with the team who works at the Pentagon.  The RoboBee visitors were led by senior mentor, Mr. Dave Buddenbohn and were accompanied by mentor Mr. Erik Wood and parent Mr. Jonathan Wilkins along with team president Mike Byers, and members Jazmin Brown, Sabrina Paz, Jocelyn Wilkins, Jared Wilkins, and Phillip Scassero.  They were introduced to Mr. Gilpin along with members from his staff, Mr. Ed Jackanowski, Ms. Angie Knappenberger, and Ms. Sondra Even.  The team conversed about the robotics tournament season and the STEM fields in general.  They had an enjoyable visit, learning much about engineering and technical career paths and gained valuable insight and advice from engineering professionals and leaders at the Pentagon.

“Ms. Angie Knappenberger gave a valuable piece of advice that stood out to me,” said Jared Wilkins.  “She reminded us to make sure that we communicate effectively as scientists and engineers so that our knowledge can be shared.”

Jocelyn Wilkins mentioned that she “appreciated the advice that Ms. Sondra Even gave to us about college and career choices.  She said that no skill is unimportant when it comes to a career in engineering.  She also reminded us not to be afraid to change our minds about our majors, while Mr. Ed Jackanowski showed us that there are multiple avenues to get a job at the Pentagon and that many of the Pentagon’s employees don’t necessarily have a STEM degree.”

Mr. Gilpin’s advice was to “follow our passion, whatever that may be, to enjoy life, and enjoy coming to work each day.”

After the visit, the team went on a short tour of the Pentagon.   “I enjoyed seeing the numerous paintings and model displays in the corridors of the pentagon,” said Jared.  “We visited the Pentagon Memorial Chapel and I was impressed by the elaborate memorial that helps to remind us of that awful day when our country was attacked.”

“After visiting The Pentagon, I realized that I would love to use my engineering degree to serve my country by working at The Pentagon.  I am so grateful for this rare opportunity to visit and speak with Mr. Gilpin and his staff,” said Jocelyn.

The RoboBees would like to thank their newest sponsor, Systems Made Simple, along with current sponsors:  BAE Systems, Boeing, Booz Allen Hamilton, The Patuxent Partnership, AUVSI, SAIC, Triton Metals, and NAVAIR for their support and contributions to the team.

Source: Forest Center Press Release http://schools.smcps.org/tech/

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