Foundation Academy robotics team competes on national level

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis selected Foundation Academy’s robotics team  Ducks in a Row to represent Florida at the inaugural FIRST United States Governors Cup, which was held Friday, Feb. 20, to Saturday, Feb. 21, in Washington, D.C.

The Governors Cup is a robotics competition for high school robotics team from all 50 states, with the goal of reimagining education through experiential learning, innovation and state-led leadership. 

Ducks in a Row won three out of the five matches it played, ranking 26th out of the 50 teams.

Robotics coach Courtney Haberman said while they’re unsure what specific reason made DeSantis pick them, she credits the application the team submitted for it. 

“Our main focus was how we want to help represent all of the industries here in Florida and how doing a competition robotics team like ours allows these students to actually get their foot in the door to tech industries and engineering,” she said. “They’re learning skills that cannot be taught in a normal classroom — skills they are able to take into their jobs well beyond their high school and college careers.” 

Haberman said the team began working on its robot well before it was selected in December for the competition. 

“We were really surprised we got picked,” said senior Ale Pedraglio, a robot driver at the competition. “We were really glad that we’d be able to spread what we’ve learned over the years to all other states and people watching the event.” 

Haberman said the team has not competed in a competition of this size, so she made sure to tell her students how important this not only was for them but also the state. 

The main issue the team came across was having to remake the robot. 

“Six weeks before we left for Governors Cup, they were like, ‘Miss Harberman, can we just change the entire robot?’” she said. “And they pulled it off.  They redesigned it by creating a new intake system, a new launching system, and it all worked perfectly by the time we got to Governors Cup.” 

While it was nerve-wrecking to make modifications so close to the competition, Haberman said it shows the dedication of her students. 

Finally, they were ready for the competition. 

“The first thing we immediately realized was that we’re from Florida, and it’s extremely cold,” said senior Logan Soderstrom, another robot driver at the competition. “But we just had to sit down and get to work.” 

To them, one of the most important aspects of the competition was communication, so the team went to other competitors to introduce themselves and learn about them. 

“We didn’t want this to be just about robotics,” Soderstrom said. “We wanted it to be about growing ourselves and reaching out to others to understand what their lives were like.” 

The challenge was simple, yet not easy to complete: The robot must collect wiffle balls, also called artifacts, and launch them into a chamber. 

“This was essentially challenging us to make sure that we have the ingenuity to not only figure out how launch mechanisms work with velocity and angles but also to perfect it,” Soderstrom said. “We wanted to not only just learn but (also) apply these skills in real-life experience.” 

One of the team’s most memorable moments was meeting artist Will.I.Am, who personally shouted out one of the team members of Ducks in a Row for being himself and pursuing his rap career. 

Besides meeting Will.I.Am, the team loved being able to meet other teams from around the country. 

“Being able to compete and meet so many new people that also earned their spot to be there was really exciting and really interesting,” Pedraglio said. 

To Soderstrom, being the team’s ambassador meant the world to him. 

“I’ve been really focused on trying to become an engineer and seeing where you can apply all these skills in real life,” he said. “Being able to get that experience was probably one of the most exciting parts for me.” 

The team learned to believe in themselves and their abilities, Soderstrom said. 

Some said it was life-changing. 

Pedraglio became emotional as he talked about his move from South America to the United States. He said he is extremely grateful to his teammates for being his family and allowing him to carry the Florida flag during the competition. 

“I just thought it was beautiful that I was able to get this chance to represent the state that I consider home,” he said. 

Like Pedraglio, this was an emotional step for him. He lived overseas most of his life and knows how difficult it can be to become part of a community. 

However, Foundation Academy’s Ducks in a Row welcomed him straight away making him feel at home. 

This was not only an opportunity for the teens to learn skills regarding robotics, but an emotional event that proved to them they are right where they belong. 

“Even if the kids don’t end up becoming engineers after this, the skills that they’re going to have are amazing, and I really wanted to represent that to all the other states,” Haberman said.