STEM Middle School has recently introduced its first all-girl robotics team! The “Sassy Sisters,” comprised of grades 6 through 8 students, will compete with STEM Middle School’s “Vipers” robotics team in their UIL FIRST Robotics competition this year.
The Sassy Sisters are involved in various aspects of robotics, from designing and coding to building and testing their robot. They also develop their teamwork and problem-solving skills to prepare them for the competition season where they’ll have at least three meets and one tournament. If they win, the team will also compete at Regionals in San Jacinto and Worlds in Houston.
The team currently consists of nine girls who take on multiple roles while working on the robot for competition. Some team members’ roles are centered solely on coding, while others focus on building their robot or creating a portfolio highlighting the team’s journey for competition.
“I was so excited to see so many girls join the robotics club; I was so worried about how many boys there were that the girls would get discouraged and possibly not want to come back,” said Tammie Tipton, STEM Middle School teacher, and Robotics coach. “After creating the all-girls team, I have been blown away by how fast they organized themselves. Within minutes they came up with their name and started sharing ideas and knowledge with each other.”
The team also benefits from the mentorship of Victoria West High School Senior Analisa Guterrez, captain of the VWHS “Wild West” robotics team. Guterrez’s guidance extends beyond technical expertise, showing the team the importance of gracious professionalism in competition and everyday life and effective leadership to Maddison Jeanis, Sassy Sister's captain, while also providing training in the foundational aspects of robotics design and coding.
“I am excited to see what STEM Middle School’s first all-girls team has to offer,” said Analisa. “I want to be able to pass down the knowledge I already know and help them become a successful team. I look forward to helping them and watching them grow.”
Maddison, also known as “Alpha” by her teammates, said, “When I first became captain of the team, I was nervous, but having Analisa as my mentor made me feel like I truly belong. She is not just teaching me about building robots, she is teaching me how to be confident as a leader.”
The girls have taken on a unique approach to building their robot. In their first few meetings, they broke down the competition piece by piece, deciding on their roles and how their robot should be built. Their priority is to make a robot that moves. The team is hoping that by the first meet in November, their robot will be able to do multiple things like scoring points and climbing multiple levels on the competition field set.
“I am hoping that this is just the beginning,” said Tipton. “The future of robotics depends on diverse ideas and that’s what makes our team special. We bring a different kind of creativity to the table. We bring new perspectives that can change the way technology impacts the world.”
The robotics coach, Ms. Tipton, emphasized the importance of community involvement, particularly through mentors with expertise in Design, Engineering, or Coding to guide and inspire the team as they develop their skills. Anyone interested in helping to shape the future of the team can email tammie.tipton@visd.net. Those interested in mentoring must first complete the VISD Volunteer forms at https://www.visd.net/page/volunteers.