Belize High School Robotics Team Visit With Cabinet

One week after the Belize High School Robotics Team returned home with gold from the First Global Challenge in Geneva, Switzerland, they met with Prime Minister John Briceño and his Cabinet. There they gave a presentation to a rapt audience of elected officials. Cabinet also presented the team with awards of recognition. News Five’s Paul Lopez filed the following report.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

It has been a week since the Belize High School Robotics Team returned from the FIRST Global Challenge in Geneva, Switzerland having won gold. Upon their arrival in Belize, they were greeted with much fanfare at the Phillip Goldson International Airport. And this morning, these top performers met and shared their knowledge with members of the Briceño administration.

Justin Zhou

Justin Zhou, B.H.S. Robotics Team

“Apparently we are somewhat celebrities now. We have gotten a lot of recognition from a lot of the news stations. Of course we spread it to a lot of the different schools through the news stations, even on the newspaper. There is some instance where like just today we were out at the market and a couple of people noticed us and they actually came to take a picture with us.”

We spoke with several members of the robotics team on campus in Belize City. They shared some of the lessons they learnt during the time spent preparing for the competition.

Melysa Choi

Melysa Choi, B.H.S. Robotics Team

“When we look back at look back at what we have been working on since summer, it was a lot of work that we just, we had to undo a lot of times. We had to break apart our entire robots and build a new one. There were times when we were like taking it apart like mien I don’t want to do this anymore. This is too hard for us.”

Benny He

Benny He, Team Belize

“Through all our entire summer coming to school and also our mentors spent their entire summer coming to guide us and give us advice. And we also spent carnival day. Yeah, we spent carnival day preparing for this robot, and also after school hours.”

Jaden Chen

Jaden Chen, B.H.S. Robotics Team

“It was really like the robot was giving us so much trouble where we were giving up on ourselves, but in the end we really learned to never give up.”

A team of mentors, led by I.T Director Godfrey Sosa, has, to a great degree, been a part of the students’ journey to gold. These mentors have now taken on the task of replicating the high school’s robotics program in educational institutions that are willing to receive them across the country.

Gustavo Carrillo

Gustavo Carrillo, Team Mentor

“I am very proud of these guys for the work they have put in. We as mentors we wanted to make sure we were here every step of the way to help them out, making sure they understand the concepts and all of what they needed to know, help them out when they had questions.”

Louis Silva

Louis Silva, Team Mentor

“It is very encouraging, because we have co-workers at other schools already calling us. They are asking for ideas. We actually did a Google Meet with a teacher.”

Cabinet awarded the B.H.S. Robotics Team with official citations. Minister of Education Francis Fonseca presented an official letter of recommendation to each student. High School Principal Jaime Usher says the school’s decision to integrate technology into its curriculum a decade ago has materialized in the innovation being witnessed today.

Jaime Usher

Jaime Usher, Principal, B.H.S.

“I saw a growth, I saw an experience that really lights up the fact that teaching is the best job in the world. We light up students not to replicate or imitate us, but to follow from, personalize it and come into their own. That’s what makes it emotional. We are asking for help in making this be something that one, is not the first and only, but two not only that is not only  linked to our school. As the official partner, we want to get this across the county. We don’t want anybody to feel limited by what they have. With the help of donors, and sponsors and companies, and even individuals, we are willing to take it to the road, or welcome them to our campus as best as we can.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez

B.H.S. is getting ready to establish a robotics headquarters on its campus.