HOLLYWOOD, Md. — A local robotics team from St. Mary’s County has earned a spot at the VEX IQ World Championship in Dallas, Texas, this May after an impressive performance at the Maryland State Championship.
Comprising competitors aged 10 to 13, The Hive Mind was one of 800 teams selected for the World Championship out of 17,000 competing groups worldwide. The event will feature teams from 53 countries.
The Hive Mind is organized through growingSTEMS, a nonprofit dedicated to exposing students to engineering through extracurricular activities like robotics.
A Strong Performance at the Maryland State Championship
On Feb. 22, The Hive Mind secured fourth place in the Skills and Autonomous Driving category at the Maryland State Championship. The local team’s competitive performance solidified their spot in the VEX IQ World Championship.
The BayNet spoke with Team Mom Kayce M. Wills to learn more about The Hive Mind and its dedicated young competitors.
Kayce shared that the team has been working toward this goal for years. While facing unexpected challenges, The Hive Mind has often had to come together to find fast solutions in a pinch.
“The World Championship has been their dream for the last six months. Some of these boys have been in the program for four years working toward this.”
“Right before they were due to compete, the main component of their robot’s catapult snapped, and it didn’t even faze them. It was such a quick and unanimous decision. It got put right back together, and they were ready to compete within two days.”
Each member brings unique insight and expertise, but their team synergy is truly what makes The Hive Mind special.
Fundraising for the World Championship
GrowingSTEMS is aiming to raise $20,000 to help cover travel expenses for the competition. The Hive Mind is seeking support from local businesses and community members.
Since growingSTEMS is a nonprofit, businesses that donate can receive a tax credit.
To support The Hive Mind:
- Donate via GoFundMe.
- Send cash or check donations to growingSTEMS, P.O. Box 736, Hollywood, MD 20636.
Meet The Hive Mind: Future Engineers in the Making
Each Hive Mind member has their own aspirations, but all expressed gratitude for their team’s dedication. The BayNet asked them about their long-term goals and passion for engineering.
TJ Ward, 13
TJ conveyed deep admiration for his fellow teammates. Team cooperation is essential in competitive robotics, and The Hive Mind appears to have perfect synergy. “Without teamwork, we would have never made it to worlds. I am surprised by how well we worked together because some of us just met this year.”
Abraham Luc, 12
Abraham shared that each member of The Hive Mind brings a unique skill to the table, emphasizing the importance of teamwork. “I love working with this team. Everyone is really good at different things. I was surprised how well we worked everything out. This is my first year on the team, and I can’t believe I get to go to the World Championship.”
Brayden Auld, 10
Brayben is the team’s youngest member. Despite his young age, Brayben was welcomed by The Hive Mind and is now a committed member. “At the beginning of the year, it was intimidating to compete with teams that were all eighth graders because I’m still in elementary school. But now I know we can do this.”
Ryan Auld, 13
At 13 years old, Ryan wants to follow in his father’s footsteps by becoming an engineer. He hopes to see The Hive Mind reach even greater heights during the World Championship. “I want to see how far we can push ourselves and our skills. I hope to use these skills in the future and have a career in robotics or engineering like my dad.”
Jaxson Cooper, 13
Jaxson has extensive expertise in autonomous coding, and he’s deeply dedicated to his fellow teammates. “I do autonomous coding, and I know if I don’t get the code to work the way we need, I will let my team down, so it makes the long days worth it.”
Kolten Wills, 13
Kolten has been tirelessly working on robotics projects for four years. His goal is to reach the top 1% of competing teams in the World Championship, a dream that is entirely achievable due to The Hive Mind’s extensive expertise and impressive work ethic. “I want to be an engineer; I’ve wanted to be one since I was 9 when I first started robotics, maybe before. This is my fourth year, and I have been hoping to go to the World Championship since I started competing. I hope to finish in the top 170 teams out of 17,000; that would be the 1%. It feels special.”
The Mentors Behind the Team
Mentor Jacob Craver
Jacob Craver acts as a mentor to The Hive Mind. While sharing his knowledge, Jacob is often impressed by the young team’s ability to problem-solve in stressful situations. “It brings me such joy to share my knowledge and experience with the kids. Seeing them apply those skills to develop interesting solutions, sometimes they would find solutions that surprise the adults! I enjoy having the opportunity to mentor future engineers and seeing them develop a passion for engineering.”
Mentor Zoe Lambert
Zoe Lambert is a robotics champion that has helped The Hive Mind in their journey to reach the World Championship. She expressed deep pride in the team’s continued success and their unique robot. “I spend over 2,000 hours a year volunteering with growingSTEMS. I have watched this team work to develop what is truly a top-tier robot that will represent the organization well at the World Championship. I am so proud of what they have achieved this year.”
Team Coach Adrianne Cooper
Adrian Cooper is proud of each and every member of The Hive Mind. She highlighted the team’s willingness to go above and beyond to reach the VEX IQ World Championship. “I am very proud of the team’s perseverance and working through tough challenges. They put in a lot of extra hours after school, on snow days, and on weekends to overcome challenges and practice their driving routine.”
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