Marsha Bartulec – Apopka, Florida … The Middle School Engineagles Robotics team at Vista Ridge Academy (VRA) in Erie, Colorado, recently returned from an unforgettable experience where they competed in the Adventist Robotics First Lego League (FLL) National Championship in Apopka, Florida, May 4.

Facing off against 26 teams from other Adventist schools across the country, the VRA team demonstrated innovation, teamwork, and perseverance, earning the prestigious Champion Finalist Award and being named the alternate team for the FLL World Championship in Florida this June.

Only the top two teams from the national competition advance to the World Championship. VRA’s team placed just behind the top two, making them the official alternate in the event a qualifying team cannot attend.

The competition challenged teams to design, build, and program autonomous Lego robots to complete specific missions, as well as develop and present a real-world innovation project. Judges evaluated students on robot design, project quality, and teamwork—areas in which VRA’s team excelled.

“This team has worked so hard—not just on the robot and programming, but on how they communicate, problem-solve, and grow together,” said robotics coach Spencer Gildersleeve. “Being named Champion Finalist and World Alternate is a huge honor and a testament to their dedication and creativity.”

VRA principal Marsha Bartulec added, “We are so proud of our students for how they represented Vista Ridge Academy. Their success at the national level highlights not only their technical skills, but also their ability to work as a team, think critically, and reflect our school’s values.”

For the students, the journey was both exciting and inspiring. “It was inspiring to see how hard our team worked to get here today,” said Charlotte Gemperline, VRA student and member of the robotics team. “We should all be very proud how far we got this season.”

Bartulec remarked, “Congratulations to our incredible Robotics team for this outstanding accomplishment! We’ll be cheering them on as alternates for the First Lego League World Championship—and celebrating all they’ve achieved.”

—Marsha Bartulec is principal at Vista Ridge Academy. Photos supplied.