Reflections on Leaving Six Nations Polytechnic STEAM Academy

Today I end my third expat contract – the first was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the second in Dubai, UAE and the third in Brantford / Six Nations.

 

What I find most interesting is in the similarities that there are between each and I am thankful that my life was enriched by these cultural and technological experiences – truly Two Rows.

 

Now I again say Masalama. In Arabic, this means goodbye or farewell and, as Shafaq knows, it is commonly used when parting ways and wishing someone well.

 

Through the robotics program I worked with students, mentors from other teams and countless others to build capacity for youth and adult team members alike. By building robots, we were building people – young able STEM enthusiasts, confident communicators, future leaders that our communities so desperately need. The transition from grade 9 to 12 (for graduates past and present) is remarkable. For those currently completing grades 9 to 11, well, their journey is still under way and I regret that their robotics journey is cut short.

 

During six years at STEAM much was accomplished. We steadily added capacity and new capabilities culminating, this year, in a robot with sophisticated Java code, swerve drive, intake, shooter and climber mechanisms, and Adriana’s cool artwork. Grade 9 students built and developed control systems and code for small robots. Those in other grades confidently and competently used Onshape CAD, Cura, Fusion 360, 3D Printers (with Klipper) and CNC router (with Mach-3) as they built and improved the larger competition robot. They developed high-demand skills and I leave it to our collective imaginations to contemplate what we might have accomplished in 2024-2025 and beyond.

 

And, yes, we won the First Robotics McMaster Event, being chosen by two of the best teams in Canada to join their winning alliance – our first major competition win. We won three consecutive STEMley Cups at the Hamilton-based off-season event. I hope that the team and the current robot have one last opportunity in October 2024 to represent our communities. We participated in the Ontario Championships – another first. At the University of Waterloo, we won the Judges Award – for persistence and determination – life skills that are not easily learned!

 

Thank you Aaron for making this experience possible.

 

Thank you, Don, for today affirming the strong positive impact that I may have had with our young people. Thanks also to Zachary, Eli, Analia, Guilia, Gabriel, Emmanuel, Cody, Adriana, Romeo, Gavin, Nate, Caleb, Jaxson, Drew, Julius, and, of course, Jarrod – you have all taught me a lot.