Bowmar Elementary Robotics Team
gree while graduating from high school. By the end of their sophomore year, all students at RCEC have completed the high school requirements for graduation and begin fulltime classes at Hinds Community College.
Lachlan Lampkin, a junior at RCEC, remembered the process required for admission.
" We had to fill out a form," Lampkin said. " They wanted to know why we were interested in RCEC and why we thought RCEC would be a good fit. Then we had a personal interview.
" One of the questions they asked was, ' If you were a bicycle, what part would you be?'" Lampkin said. " I think I said I ' d want to be a handle so I could help steer."
" Then you get a letter that tells you if you got in. I have a friend who keeps her letter on a wall with her other achievements," Lampkin said.
" It ' s a lot of money to go to college," Lampkin said. " It would save and help a lot of my family ' s burdens to go to RCEC. I like to push myself, and I thought RCEC would be the place to do that. It is challenging, but I think that ' s what sets it apart. Accountability is a big part of RCEC. And I love my teachers."
Lampkin said she appreciates the independence at RCEC and being in charge of her work without reminders from teachers.
" If you ' re proactive with what you do, you can get things done," she said.
Students at RCEC have access to a building called " The Village." The building was designed to accommodate RCEC students between classes at Hinds comfortably. Academic support is also available as needed at The Village. Students are required to take field trips to college campuses as part of completing a College Readiness Course. Additionally, major colleges visit RCEC ' s campus to inform students about their programs.
" I ' m just happy that I get the privilege to learn in a higher learning environment," Lampkin said. She added that she feels well-prepared for choosing a career. She advised any prospective students to have the mindset that " you will grow and change as a person. You learn so much. You learn a lot about responsibility and what leadership means. Be open-minded."
Lampkin plans to attend a 4-year college and major in forensic engineering. She participates in Archery and dance.
Abram Rice, a 5th-grade student at Bowmar Elementary, shared how his involvement with the Robotics team has sparked an
interest in pursuing a career in science and technology. Robotics is an optional choice for students and meets after the school day ends.
The Robotics team at Bowmar competes within the First Lego League( FLL), an international competition for kids ages 4-16 designed to inspire youth to grow in the skills of critical thinking, coding, and design with hands-on learning. Using Legos, a computer, and a small robot, teams build and program the robot to follow commands. In August of each year, FLL releases a " real-world challenge " that each team must address. Previous years have focused on ocean preservation, better trash disposal, and cargo transport. Teams then present their projects at competitions, which start at a local level and culminate in an international finale.
" The theme this year is Archaeology," Rice said. " We ' re going to have a drone that flies around in small caves and tries to find items that are in the ground." The drone they are building will have ground-penetrating radar.
Although the team has not yet flown their drone, Rice looks forward to having a chance to operate it.
" We work together to figure out what we want the drone to do," Rice said. He said the best part of Robotics is programming and
48 • THE VICKSBURG POST & VICKSBURG-WARREN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE