LIMESTONE, Maine — After impressing judges with their robotic skills at the Maine state competition, a VEX robotics team from the Maine School of Science and Mathematics will take part in the world championships.
From May 5 to 7, the team of eight students and their coach will join 800 teams from all 50 states and more than 50 other countries in Dallas for the VEX Robotics World Championships.
This year will mark the fifth time that MSSM has sent a VEX team to the world championships. It is also the first time that an MSSM team has qualified based on winning both the skills and the competitive portions of the regional tournament in Maine, which took place March 5 in South Portland. There are seven teams from Maine heading to the world championships.
“I was beyond ecstatic,” said team captain BaoBao Nguyen, a junior from Falmouth, Maine, on his reaction to winning. “This will be my first year going to Worlds. It’s one of the best feelings to know I’ll have that experience with my team.”
Members of MSSM’s VEX Robotics team pose with their regional championship trophy. Pictured from left to right: Evyn Lally, Daniela Chavez de Pas Solis, Chandler Pike, BaoBao Nguyen, Sage Santomenna, Henry Tun and David Kim (Courtesy of Maine School of Science and Mathematics)
VEX Robotics, managed by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, is an international competition aimed at getting students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM, subjects. The 2022 World Championships will be the first held in person since 2019.
MSSM sent two VEX teams, with the second consisting of seven students, to the Maine regionals. Both teams took part in this year’s game, “Tipping Point,” which required them to use engineering skills to balance their robot on a makeshift teeter totter.
VEX students will spend much of the next few months honing their engineering, technical and collaboration skills. Each team member has a specific role, including robot “builders,” “drivers” and “programmers” and a “notebooker” who help navigate the robot’s moves and keep notes that document the team’s decisions.
Team coach Dakota Gendreau said that the team’s recent accomplishments demonstrate their commitment and motivation.
“It shows that they have the motivation to balance [VEX] with a rigorous school schedule,” Gendreau said. “We have a group of intelligent, dedicated and focused kids that we’re all proud of.”
MSSM senior Chandler Pike of Jay is excited to be headed to Worlds for the second time in his high school career. He said that VEX has helped him gain friendships and develop an interest in mechanical engineering.
“I definitely want to attend a college that has a robotics team,” Pike said. “VEX puts you in a competitive mindset but it also helps you reach goals you’ve set for yourself.”
