Our family joined robotics to help a less social member stay in. We had no clue just how much my daughter Angela Barron would thrive in the program. She worked at the machine shop on the robot, co-drove at all the competitions, and is now RUHS president of robotics. Her sister-in-law is amazed because she never imagined Angela doing something like this. Angela’s freshman sister joined this year, fourteen years old the youngest welder ever in the welding class at El Camino College. She kicked her stepdad's butt who also took the class. A male alumni had clued us in that girls make the best welders, which gave us the idea of her joining her stepdad at summer school.
Marygrace is recruiting girls like crazy.
I think the reason we didn't have girls in the past is a prevailing attitude...
MCHS Robotics’ President Greg Nelson says, “On the issue of girls, there are not many girls involved in robotics period. We had two from MCHS and 0 from Redondo in 2001, and one this past season from MCHS and only a few from Redondo. This season I’m trying to twist some arms to get a few more to give it a shot, but the girls that I can get to come will not be willing to spend the time it takes to do robotics. Another reason that there are so few girls I believe is because of the field of activity. Without sounding sexist here...to be honest does robotics sound like the type of thing that girls would normally jump into? Unfortunately, for most of the girls I know, the answer to this is no. However, as with all rules there are exceptions. I just wish there were more. I think the girls can be just as talented as guys in this program but the problem is getting them to try. If you have any suggestions in this area, my ears are open.”
This year we have 10 girls from RUHS, and one cool girl from MCHS who also happens to be on the MCHS freshman football team - she's challenging MCHS's attitudes about girls in robotics and on the football field.
Raytheon took Angela and I to California Governor's Conference for Women...
http://www.cgcw.org/
We made contacts at the Conference.
LA Society of Women Engineers wrote an article about our team, and gave us inside scoop on funding.
