Cece Gordon

Cece Gordon accomplished something she never would have thought possible just a year earlier: She built a robot.

As a freshman, if you had told me I would have built a robot senior year, I would’ve looked at you like you were crazy. If you had told me my robot would be the only one to successfully go through the course, I would’ve thought you were even crazier. 

It began last spring with whispers. After counselor meetings, people were quietly asking each other what classes they were taking for our final year. 

“Are you doing AP physics or just regular?” many asked. I knew my answer.

At first, the class I signed up for was just a way to get out of taking physics. Even though I wanted to learn about physics, I didn’t want to be consumed by homework and tests for senior year, so I had other plans. 

Before I knew it, August rolled around, and I found myself in the brand-new robotics lab during third period. On the first day of school, I knew not one person in my class. I was one  of three girls and one of two seniors. 

I was assigned to a group and right away we began researching. I quite literally knew absolutely nothing about building a robot. Once we started building, however, it began to click. I became really familiar with several parts and pieces quickly.

Our robot eventually came together, and honestly, the final product was a shock to me. After the product was finished, my three partners and I ran it through the course: go forward, turn left, turn right to go straight again, then turn around, add 20 pounds, and return to the start. 

Out of the two Robotics 1 classes, my group’s robot was the only one to completely go through the course successfully. When we accomplished this, the whole class started screaming. It felt so good to know that my work and my research had paid off. 

There are only a handful of women involved in Robotics at LFHS, but  this is not a surprise. According to National Girls Collaborative Project, out of the women who earn science degrees, only 16% of them go into engineering fields, including robotics. This low percentage makes sense because the National Girls Collaborative Project also states that women in STEM earn less money than men, perhaps forcing women to turn away from wanting to pursue anything in STEM. 

There is also a lot of stigma surrounding women in STEM fields, including robotics. I think this  is why many students at the high school level do not pursue robotics. High school students don’t want to be unfairly labeled.

However, stereotypes like this should not stop us. They are an evil thing that can pull people away from what they actually love to do, and I wish I realized  this earlier.

Being different and trying things out of your comfort zone is what helps you discover yourself. So far, Robotics has helped me learn a lot about myself and how my mind works. I have made friends, I have made robots, I have made mistakes, and I have embarked on an exploration: self exploration.  

Whether it’s freshman boys calling me “unc” or my robot being the only one out of the two classes to complete the course, I am proud that I can consider myself a woman in STEM. Therefore, if you are a student at LFHS, I encourage you to give robotics a try.