“It all began from motivation from my seventh-grade science teacher to get involved with the program. Since then, robotics has helped me build my future.”
Madeline Ortiz, currently a senior at Corning-Painted Post High School, has committed to Cornell University School of Engineering to major in chemical engineering and minor in computer science. Part of the passion she acquired for her future stems from the robotics program, where she not only helped create championship winning projects, but learned various soft skills needed in her future.
“From creativity to networking, you get a valuable return each time you invest yourself in a project,” Madeline said. “You get to work with a lot of people, doing different things. It’s a team effort in an overall experience of real-world problem solving that leverages the expertise, creativity, and passion of everybody around you. When you’re in an environment that encourages you to be your best, you want to give it your all.”
Madeline thrives during process; slowly unfolding all the moving parts of a project to curate the final product. “And the beauty in that is that everybody contributes a large piece of the puzzle,” she said. “My teammates, the coaches, and the overall atmosphere of each tournament and working sessions. All of this meshes into something unique and amazing. This program builds bridges between people, and that team dynamic contributes to our success.”
