Last week at the FIRST Robotics Competition at Hofstra University, our own Bethpage Regal Eagles robotics team won several awards. This qualifies them to attend the 2018 World Championship, which will be held in Detroit, Michigan.

Team captain Smiti Shah won the 2018 Regional MVP Award for her effort in bringing robotics to remote communities across the globe while maintaining strong leadership qualities on her own team.

Team media lead Morgan Heller won the Dean’s List Finalist Award for her passion for Civil Engineering and commitment to get more involved in the FIRST Robotics program. This qualifies her to compete against finalists across the world at the 2018 Championships.

The highlight of the event was the team’s Engineering Inspiration Award win. The team had solid performance at both of their regional competitions, even making it to quarterfinals twice.

The judges recognized this in combination with their global outreach using technology and local impact, and awarded them the award. Additionally, this award means NASA will pay for the teams registration to compete in the World Championships on April 25th.