Firebird Robotics Achieve Rare Accomplishment

 

---

Congratulations to Izzy Cooper ‘25 and Robotics Coach Ms. Hannah Farrell ‘11 has won distinguished awards at FIRST Mid-Atlantic District Championship. Having one team member selected for these awards is a great accomplishment, but winning BOTH awards in the same year is incredibly rare!

Izzy has won the Dean’s List spot locally, which means she is now a finalist for one of the ten coveted Dean’s List spots at the World Championship. The Dean’s List award consists of the top 150 students from across the globe, this now makes her eligible for special college scholarships to programs that have partnered with FIRST. Some notable schools include MIT, Princeton, and WPI. The students who earn FIRST Dean’s List status as a Semi-finalist, Finalist or Winner, are great examples of student leaders who have led their teams and communities to increased awareness for FIRST and its mission. The students exhibit leadership not just inside the classroom, but within their community. 

Ms. Farrell, the Robotics Coach, has been awarded the highest honor of FIRST, which is the Woodie Flowers Award. This prestigious award also means that she has earned a spot as a finalist for the World Championship. Only 27 people in the world have ever won this award! The Woodie Flowers Award is named after one of the founders of FIRST, who was known for his enthusiasm and dedication to effective communication in the world of STEM and Robotics. This award recognizes mentors who lead, inspire, and empower their teams through excellent communication skills.

Next week, Izzy and Ms. Farrell will be traveling to Houston, Texas for the World Championship. Ms. Farrell will have the chance to learn new programming, building, and coaching techniques to bring back to the Firebirds. Meanwhile, Izzy will have the opportunity to meet other students in STEM and represent the Mount as a student ambassador at the event!