Bryleigh McBride, Syber-Sentinels

My name is Bryleigh McBride. As a first-year member of our rookie First Robotics team, Syber- Sentinels 10173, my recent trip to Grand Forks was an incredible learning experience that allowed me to grow both personally and academically. I was fortunate enough to serve in a variety of roles — from media manager, to working with the build team, electrical team, and shadowing the code team.

Each of these experiences taught me valuable skills that I can apply not only to robotics, but to my life. As media manager, I had the opportunity to document our journey and share our team’s progress with others on Instagram and to be able to be proud to showcase those images in my TSA competition. It was inspiring to see how much the team cared about the work we were doing and to see it come to life.

Working on the build team gave me hands-on experience, and collaborating with the electrical team allowed me to dive into the technical side of robotics, which was very fun because my dad (Brandon McBride) is an electrician who helped us, so I got to take what I knew in those fields and apply it to a real-life scenario. I also started learning how to code, which was both challenging and exciting. Each endeavor was a chance to learn from my more teammates.

In addition to all the technical learning, this trip also presented a chance to network with other teams and people. I quickly realized how important these connections are, both for the team and for personal growth. As someone who’s passionate about building relationships, I was able to engage with other students and mentors, exchanging ideas and gaining insight into the world of FIRST Robotics.

All in all, my Grand Forks robotics trip was a remarkable experience. I not only gained new skills, but I also learned the power of teamwork, communication, and networking. I can’t wait to continue this journey and see where these experiences take me!