February was a busy month for students at Elgin Community College. It was also a very active and anticipated time for the middle and high school prodigies who were present on  campus the weekend of Feb. 26 and 27.

Two teams representing Elgin, competed in the 2016 FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Tech Challenge Robotics Championship Competition. The 36 robot-enthusiast collectives, that competed relentlessly, challenged adversity and hoped to further climb the FTC Robotics Competition rankings in hopes of reaching the FTC World Championships in St. Louis in April.

FIRST,was founded more than 25 years ago by Dean Kamen. Kamen, inventor and entrepreneur, is an advocate for the math and science fields and promotes his passion and ambition for the youth through his work with FIRST. FIRST is the leading non-profit STEM program for young gifted students at the middle and high school level.

Got robots? and Blue Box Bots were the two teams from Elgin that competed.

Aidan Pollard and Patrick Stephens, got robots? teammates, constructed their robot using a 3-D printer. Their workshop was at the Elgin Technology Center in downtown Elgin, where they collaborated and problem-solved with fellow Elginites and competitors, Blue Box Bots.

Stephens naturally gravitated toward the mechanical aspect of the competition. He enjoys learning how to use a 3-D printer and working with his hands. Stephens looks forward to improving his got robots? current model.

“Definitely for me, it’s just the experience,” said Pollard. “Pretty much overcoming problems is what I’m getting out of this.”

Pollard lives in St. Charles and is home schooled, like 90 percent of his other teammates. Stephens is the exception, he lives in Elgin and attends Bartlett High School Academy.

Pollard is determined in making a career out of his experience with FTC. He would like to enter the Aeronautical Engineering industry. Pollard will also be taking a few credit hours at ECC after his homeschooling is complete.

Stephens has previously taken a class at ECC. He enjoyed his experience, but it did not suffice. His desired destination after high school is MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Not everything went smooth for the two teams during the competition. Stifling challenges like wireless connectivity and fierce competition contributed to an intense event.

Last year, got robots? finalized in the top four for the Inspire Award. This tournament, they are boasting a Judge’s Award, which is designated to a team who exemplifies the contribution, collaboration and professionalism that FTC prides itself on.

The tournament was a total success for Blue Box Bots, who are one of 15 teams advancing to the Northern FTC Super Regionals in Iowa that takes place in the middle of March. The teams who claim victory there will be one competition away from achieving FTC World Champion status.

Many Illini were in attendance Friday and Saturday- 600 in fact, to show support and appreciation. Dianne Luhmann, from Chicago, traveled Saturday afternoon to support her grandson, who attends Quest Academy in Palatine and is also on team #10363, Knights of Tech.

“I hope we get a lot more kids from the state. It’s great for them and we need more kids doing it. We can’t have kids who barely complete high school, that’s not where the jobs are anymore,” said Luhmann. “So we need a lot more kids who set their goals higher.”

Luhmann’s grandson will be completing the eighth grade this year and intends on attending Stanford University in California. Prior to his hopeful engagement with Stanford, Luhmann’s grandson will be attending Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, Ill.

Jonathan Weiland, event coordinator, has been apart of the FTC Robotics Competition for about four years now. The competition itself has been established for 15 years. Weiland enjoys providing talented youth the opportunity to prosper in academia and foster the habit of critical thinking and setting lofty goals.

“The opportunity to challenge themselves against the best problem solvers in Illinois is what I see benefiting the competitors the most,” said Weidman.

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