Fairfax County supervisors on Tuesday (June 9) honored students from robotics teams at two schools for participation in recent international competition.
The Hayfield Secondary School Night Hawks and Marshall High School Gryphon Robotics each competed in the FIRST Robotics World Championship, held in Houston April 29-May 2.
About 600 squads from across the globe participated in the competition, working both as individual teams and then as squads of three teams.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay praised both teams for teamwork and camaraderie.
“These skill sets are so much of what our future employment and jobs needs are going to be like,” he said. “We have amazing robotics programs, and before us are two of the absolute best.”
“These skills are foundational for success in any career field,” added Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk.
The Gryphons ended the competition ranked third in their division, leading their alliance to a seventh-place finish overall. The Night Hawks ended the competition as the third place in their alliance after challenging preliminary rounds, according to Fairfax County Public Schools.
“The championship was intense, but our FCPS teams were powered up and ready to compete,” Superintendent Michelle Reid said after the competition concluded.
Joey Kerns, the robotics coach for the Night Hawks, said teams were required to design, fabricate, program and operate their robots under real-world constraints. He praised the “technical skill, creativity and perseverance” of students.
“Both teams had outstanding seasons,” Kerns said.
In remarks, Lusk praised the two squads for serving as mentors to younger robotics students.
“They not only succeed in competition, but they give back,” he said.
Reid has said the county school system is committed to bringing robotics programming to every county school over the next three years.
