Hemlock’s robot, Apollo, has had an eventful traveling agenda this year. In March there were trips to Saint Joseph and a District Championship in Midland. In April there was a championship run at Saginaw Valley State University and a trip to the FIRST Championships in Houston, TX. On May 21 Apollo hopped in the school van and headed to Lansing, for a visit with State Representative Graham Filler and a tour of the Capitol.
“Giving kids these great opportunities to do fun unique things is an important part of being a member of our robotics team,” said lead mentor Dana Lockwood. “We all work hard, designing the robot, building the robot, fundraising, community outreach, our scouting and data analytics efforts are exhaustive, but that’s not enough. We want our kids to have unique, growing experiences and this trip to Lansing is another special opportunity for our team to learn and grow.”
Representative Filler gave the team a tour of the Capitol and expressed his passion for public service. He shared stories about how bills are submitted and humorous anecdotes about how legislation is passed. He brought the team into the house chambers where he presented them with a trophy, and a special tribute honoring their achievements.
“I’m just so proud of the team,” said Don Killingbeck, Hemlock’s Superintendent “In Hemlock we believe it’s hard work that always pays off and it’s nice to see that hard work is appreciated in Lansing!”
Hemlock’s Gray Matter and Apollo are home for a bit but will pack up and head to Indianapolis in July for the Indiana Robotics Invitational. IRI is an invitation-only event where the best teams worldwide will compete.