Showcasing 21st-century STEAM learning, five Garland ISD robotics teams have qualified for the VEX Robotics World Championship April 15-18 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky. For the first time ever, Sachse High School will represent GISD alongside veteran worlds participant Austin Academy for Excellence at the intense international competition.
“It is an amazing feeling and experience to qualify for worlds,” said Austin Academy science teacher and robotics sponsor Corey Bankston. “During the 2014 season, my boys worked more than 2,300 extra hours as a group from August to April to reach worlds once again.”
Three Austin Academy-based teams will control and direct their personally designed robot in pursuit of the title. Group 7504E will make its third appearance, with 7504X making its second and 75040Z unveiling its debut. Sachse High School’s 5408A and 5408F teams will spar alongside their younger peers, hoping to make Mustang history.
Although all teams are hosted by Austin Academy and Sachse, students from other GISD campuses have also contributed to this feat.
“7504E is made up of my two most experienced veterans, Evan Anderson and Tien Tran. They were members of my first team to compete, and despite going to Sachse and Garland high schools, they wanted one more year together to try and pull-off their third straight appearance at worlds,” Bankston explained. “75040Z originally consisted of 7504X’s John McKelvey, so we had to recruit a new driver. We chose Anderson’s younger brother, Keeley Elementary School fourth-grader Eric Hritz.”
The long road to face 15,000 participants from 28 countries was difficult, but satisfying. Austin’s teams won 25 titles, while Sachse’s snagged 10. Their impressive performances have garnered recognition across the district and community. 5408A and 5408F were even acknowledged during the April 6 Sachse City Council meeting.
Now that these tech-savvy teams are approaching game day, Bankston and Sachse’s sponsor Michael Roha are not only focusing on awards, but also the long-term benefits of competition.
“The majority of these kids want to become engineers, and being involved with robotics will certainly help them achieve their goal,” Bankston commented. “But the life skills they have learned are far more important. They have learned how to work as a team, interview and strategize. Communication and negotiation skills, time and project management, and a positive self-esteem have also been developed. Overall, I am beyond proud of these guys and appreciate all of the hard work they have devoted to Austin’s program. They mean the world to me, and I know they all have bright futures ahead.”
Photos courtesy of Corey Bankston and Jennifer McKelvey