Upper School Robotics Team Competes in European Premier in The Netherlands

In a historic achievement, FIRST Tech Challenge Team #641, the TaterScots, represented Saint Andrew's School with distinction at the first-ever FIRST Tech Challenge European Premier Event. Competing against 96 teams from 25 countries, Team 641 performed exceptionally well, advancing to the competition's highest level of play – the playoffs. The team was made up of six Saint Andrew’s students and chaperoned by team mentor Mr. Joey Uriarte and Mrs. Kelli Sanchez.

The groundbreaking event, hosted by Stichting STEAMup and presented by the Gene Haas Foundation, took place at the Indoor-Sportcentrum Eindhoven, transforming the Dutch technology hub into a vibrant showcase of youth innovation and engineering excellence.

"To see so many incredible teams from across the world was eye-opening," said Mr. Uriarte, team mentor. "We thought we knew what top teams looked like when attending states earlier this year, but many of the teams here were on a whole other level. The fact that this team advanced as far as they did is a strong reminder that all the time and energy spent during the season was worth it."

Team #641's strong performance in the Lovelace Division, one of two divisions at the event, demonstrated their technical prowess and strategic thinking throughout the qualification matches.

Eindhoven, known as a center for technological innovation, provided an inspiring backdrop for the competition. The city's rich engineering and design history created the perfect environment for these young innovators to showcase their creativity and problem-solving abilities. Beyond competition days, the team also explored Eindhoven University of Technology, getting a glimpse of what awaits them beyond FTC.

The team saw many exciting technologies down the pipeline at Eindhoven University, including a car designed for traversing the Sahara through solar energy, the latest in drone technology, and, of course, autonomous robots. The day was capped off by a keynote presentation by none other than Greg Needel, CEO of Rev Robotics, where he shared his insight with the team on what it meant to start a robotics company with the goal of providing accessible learning to students across the world.

For Team #641, the event represented months of preparation, design iterations, and countless hours of practice. Their success in reaching the playoffs validates their dedication and positions them as a team to watch in future competitions.

The inaugural European Premier Event marks a significant expansion of the FIRST Tech Challenge program in Europe, promising to inspire more young people to pursue careers in STEAM fields. As Team #641 returns home with valuable experience and memories from this historic event, they join a growing community of young innovators shaping the future of technology.

Congratulations to the following students:

• Eli Cornell '26
• Sofiia Kitsul '26
• Alejandro Mora '26
• Peter Roth '26
• Daniel Stoica '26
• Ziyou (Tim) Tian '27