Article Text
More than 600 teams from over 10 countries converged on Houston in April for the FIRST Robotics World Championship. Among the competitors were Hayfield Secondary School’s Team 614, the Night Hawks, representing Fairfax County on one of youth robotics’ biggest stages.
For the team’s graduating seniors, reaching the world championship capped years of engineering work, mentorship and friendship. Now, many are carrying the technical and leadership skills they developed into college programs and aviation careers.
Two Decades of Team 614
The Night Hawks have competed under the Team 614 banner for more than 20 years. Coach and mentor Joey Kerns has experienced much of that history firsthand.
Kerns competed with the team from 2006 through 2009. After graduating from Hayfield, he returned in 2014 as a teacher and coach.
Kerns said he is proud of the program and its students, whose ambitious technical work continually challenges the team’s mentors to expand their own abilities.
Every January, FIRST gives teams a new challenge. Students then have only a few months to design, construct, program and test a robot before competitions begin.
That demanding schedule makes the program resemble a competitive sport more than a typical school club. Students specialize in mechanical design, electrical systems, programming, strategy, outreach and leadership.
Madison Bostic joined after Kerns encouraged her while she was taking his computer science class. Robotics soon became a central part of her high school experience as she served as design captain, mechanical co-lead and a competition driver.
Bostic said the program taught her teamwork and helped her become more comfortable speaking with others. Although she considered herself quiet, Kerns encouraged her to make her voice heard.
Other members described similar growth. Along with gaining engineering experience, they developed confidence, communication skills and the ability to lead.
A Team and a Community
Robotics also helped several seniors build connections throughout Hayfield.
Logan Fleshman moved to Northern Virginia from an area south of Richmond. He said Fairfax County schools introduced him to a more diverse community where he formed friendships with students from different cultures and felt accepted.
For Isabella Sandomir, a military-connected student who has attended several school systems, Hayfield offered an unusual degree of stability. She said teachers welcomed her and gave her opportunities to pursue her interests during what became her best four-year experience in one place.
Sandomir credited English teachers Brian Hannon and Jessica Minoglio with strengthening her conversational skills and confidence while helping her learn more about herself.
Xavier Sciulli used his time in Fairfax County schools to pursue interests well beyond robotics. He played varsity tennis, announced football games over the public-address system and participated in the Tri-M Music Honor Society and National Honor Society.
Sciulli said the opportunities he received in middle and high school pushed him beyond his comfort zone and helped reshape him as he became an upperclassman.
Mentors Who Changed Their Paths
Many of the graduating Night Hawks said Kerns played a decisive role in their high school lives.
Fleshman described him as a mentor who devoted countless hours to the students, guided their decisions and led through his own example. Charles Hilbrant said he probably would not have joined Team 614 if Kerns had not been his teacher.
Other educators also helped shape the seniors’ plans. Alex Petrick credited IT teacher Andrea Wells with introducing him to cybersecurity. He also remembered the support he received from Alaina Taylor, his fifth-grade teacher at Hayfield Elementary School.
Kerns said the graduating class dramatically improved the team through its leadership and expertise. He expects its members to accomplish great things in college and beyond but acknowledged that their departure leaves Team 614 with large roles to fill.
World Championship Veterans Set Their Next Courses
The seniors are now taking the interests they developed at Hayfield into higher education.
Bostic, Fleshman and Hilbrant will attend George Mason University. Bostic plans to study mechanical engineering, while Fleshman and Hilbrant will major in electrical engineering.
Sandomir will study electrical engineering at Auburn University while participating in Air Force ROTC. She hopes to become an Air Force pilot.
Sciulli plans to attend Kent State University before pursuing a career as a commercial airline pilot. Petrick will study business information technology and cybersecurity at Northern Virginia Community College.
Their destinations and ambitions differ, but many of their plans grew from opportunities offered through Team 614 and their years in Fairfax County schools.
The seniors leave Hayfield with more than a world championship appearance. Their legacy includes the knowledge they passed down, the example they set and a stronger robotics program for the next generation of Night Hawks. The robots may eventually be retired, but the lessons in collaboration, problem-solving and confronting difficult challenges will follow the students into their next chapters.