Congressman Don Beyer visits Falls Church High School Robotics Team

On the eve of the “March for Science,” Falls Church High School (FCHS) Robotics Club hosted the Honorable Donald Beyer, US House of Representatives, 8^th District, a staunch supporter of the Scientific and Engineering fields (Congressman Beyer is the Vice Ranking Member on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology). He is self-described as “the only automechanic who became a Congressperson.” Senior Danielle Kaldmaa and Junior Anhtuan Nguyen, Presidents of the Falls Church HS Robotics Club, and Mr. Bertha, Computer Science Teacher, have led the FCHS Robotics Club through a busy robotics competition season along with their coaches and mentors, Ralph Albrecht, Sokhom Kith, and Jeff Kelbick. The club and FCHS Principal Dr. Ben Nowak hosted Congressman Beyer along with FCPS School Board Representative Sandy Evans on Friday, April 21, 2017 afterschool for over an hour, demonstrating their FRC, FTC, and VEX robots at the school’s Innovation Lab. Representative Beyer even drove one of their robots. During his visit, the Congressman recommended to the Falls Church High School students a book named “The Existential Pleasures of Engineering,” by Samuel C. Florman, and noted that without science and engineering, our lives would be dramatically different today. The Congressman has since tweeted about his visit: https://twitter.com/RepDonBeyer/status/855515864459882496.

Congressman Beyer is now the latest member of the Falls Church Robotics Club, having donned one of the FCHS award-winning FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team 6504 – Jagbots team t-shirts. The FRC Team 6504 had a very successful Rookie Season winning “Rookie Inspiration” Awards at two different regional tournaments for inspiring veteran teams with their enthusiasm and competitively designed robot. In addition to competing in the FRC Competition as rookies, the team has competed for the past three seasons in FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Competitions, and with several teams for three seasons with the VEX Robotics Competition. The team also hosts an Annual NXT Sumobot Competition, where it has invited teams to compete from not only FCHS, but also from the entire Falls Church FCPS pyramid. The team further promotes STEM education along with FCHS’s GiTech club, by leading robotics merit badge activities for local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, and by mentoring and judging other robotics competitions including Junior FIRST Lego League for local elementary schools, and VEX Robotics Competitions. The FCHS Robotics Club is thankful to its Sponsors, which include DODStem (formerly NDEP), AFCEA, NVCC Systemic Solutions, and the various teachers, mentors and parents, without the support of which the club could not compete. The FCHS Robotics Club meets weekly throughout the school year, is student led, and explores various technologies including 3D Printing, Industrial Robotics, Drones, and Computer Science and technology.