What started out as a handful of students interested in robotics quickly evolved into a school club and a new Robotics program at Hamilton Heights Middle School. For Lacy Bowyer, the new Robotics Teacher and Robotics Club Coach, it has been a whirlwind year.
This 1998 Hamilton Heights graduate began her career as a special education teacher. She moved on to fifth grade where she taught for 15 years prior to moving to the middle school to head up the new robotics program at the beginning of the year. For Bowyer, the transition to Robotics was exciting and she was a perfect fit for the subject and the role.
“It exceeded all my expectations,” said Bowyer as her first year as the Middle School Robotics teacher and Robotics Coach draws to a close. “Everything about this program was new and to be a part of designing the program, creating the curriculum, attending training, and teaching the material has really been exciting. The bonus, added Lacy, is the response from students to the class and success of the club.”
Members of the HHMS Robotics Club traveled to Louisville to compete at the VEX World Championship in April. (First row, from left) Harrison Hochstedler and Coach Lacy Bowyer. (Second row, from left) Josh Steffen, Sydni Zebrauskas, Cassidy Felger and Kaylee Rhoton. (Third row, from left) Jaydon Burrow, Anna Rickey, Thatcher Jung and Justin Hilton. (Fourth row, from left) Izze Koss, Anne Petty, Josh Ozolins and Colin Weber. (Fifth row, from left) Jenn Houser, Aiden Helm, Kal Colter and Grant Cavanaugh. (Photo provided)
Bowyer, who sees an average of 130 students a day, said the students seem to share her love of robotics education and have quickly connected with the material.
“Our project-based activities engage students across the board,” Bowyer pointed out. “STEM is the future and students are inspired to build their technical and interpersonal skills through this class and the club,” she continued. “This is their first entry into this field at Heights and it been very well received.”
Bowyer’s efforts have not gone unnoticed earning 2017-18 Indiana VEX Teacher of the Year award at the State Competition.
“We had four teams comprised of four to nine students per team who competed throughout the year,” said Bowyer of the Robotics Club some 30 students strong and growing. “Three of the four teams made it to state and all three teams earned an invitation to the VEX Robotics World Competition in Louisville, Ky. (April 29-May 1)! We were the only school from Hamilton County represented among more than 400 teams from over 30 countries. One of our teams made it all the way to the semi-finals, and we received numerous compliments from the judges on how great our teams interviewed because they were 100 percent involved in every aspect of their robot, from the concept and design to the programming and the execution!”
All three of Bowyer’s teams that competed at the world championship are ranked in the top 6 percent of all registered middle school VEX IQ teams in the world. Bowyer credits her assistant Robotics Coach, Chad Jung, as instrumental to the club’s success: “I couldn’t have done it without him.”
Bowyer says she is excited about the year ahead.
“We had a call out for incoming sixth graders and had many express interest in participating,” Bowyer added. “We have set the bar high and our students continue to rise to the challenge. I’m looking forward to the energy and excitement the incoming sixth graders will bring.”