LongMetal from nearby Longmeadow High School is one of many local and international teams mentored through Western New England University’s FIRST Robotics Club. Student mentors work remotely with high school teams as technical advisors to offer guidance about robotics kits and engineering principles to prepare for the competition. Last year, club members traveled to the FIRST Robotics International competition in Washington, DC, to support their mentee teams. This year, with the LongMetal team just a few miles from campus, team members were able to utilize the resources of the University’s First Year Innovation Lab with particular guidance offered by Electrical Engineering sophomore Ashley Smith, Western New England's FIRST Robotics Club President.
The LongMetal team recently reached out to the College of Engineering to thank students and faculty technical mentors for their support in the team’s inaugural year in competition. At the New England District Hartford Event, the team won the Rookie All Star Award as well as finished the competition as the highest seeded Rookie Team, qualifying for the World Championships.
