FIRST Robotics kicks off, scholarship awarded

President Thomas J. Haas presented the FIRST Robotics Engineering Scholarship to an incoming Grand Valley student during the Opening Ceremony of the FIRST Robotics Competition March 22.

Chris Vanzomeren will attend Grand Valley this fall upon graduation from City High-Middle School in Grand Rapids. The FIRST Robotics Engineering Scholarship is awarded each year to a student who has been accepted to Grand Valley and is interested in an engineering career. The recipient has a history of participating in FIRST Robotics Competitions in middle and high school.

Nearly 1,000 students, including Vanzomeren, on 41 high school teams from across the state will gather at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition from March 22-23. Teams had six weeks to design and build robots for the competition, which helps students get hands-on experience solving real-world problems and discover the excitement of science and technology careers.  

The event is sponsored by the Padnos College of Engineering and Computing at Grand Valley. Complete information, including a detailed schedule and a list of teams, is available at www.firstinmichigan.org.