Recently, the Umatilla FLL (FIRST LEGO League) Robotics team, McNary LEGO Monster Squad, went through an exciting time as they competed in their first-ever robotics competition and ended with winning the Motive Award. According to the FIRST website, “This award celebrates a team that embraces the culture of FIRST LEGO League through team building, team spirit, and displayed enthusiasm.”
Team member Jaylah shared how thrilled the team was to win the award. “I felt so amazing that I actually cried. We screamed and shouted with how excited we were. I felt like I was home because I was with my team and my mentors, who I love.”
The team, made up of a group of seven 5th-grade students, spent several weeks preparing for the competition. They programmed their robot to complete four of the challenges and put together a speech and posters to present to the judges. Although the team was initially nervous about participating in their first competition, they were eager to show what they had been working on. Despite the initial jitters, they ultimately felt happy with their performance and thought the competition went well.
Soraya, also on the team, said, “I felt like we did good because our drivers did an amazing job. Before we were driving, I was nervous but excited for our speech. We did a lot of practicing.”
The team's mentors, Anay Mendoza and Madison Finck, are excited to continue guiding and supporting the students in their FLL journey. FLL is part of an after-school class offered through the STEAM Academy of Umatilla, where students get to participate in various hands-on learning classes. For the rest of this session, the students will continue to work on programming their robot to complete more challenges and have a few fun activities planned. Anay and Madison are looking forward to next year's competition when the team plans to compete again in sixth grade.
