The Life of a Driver

Maryn Call ’26, driver, shares, “My favorite part about being on Chatham Hall’s robotics team is the community it is built on. We really pride ourselves on our ability to get everyone involved in the entire process.” Mone S. ’27, technician, agrees: “Because our team is relatively small, I have more opportunities to take part in the core work, which makes the experience more engaging and rewarding.”

That sense of community is what makes the Tutu Turtles special. As the only all-girls robotics team in the FIRST® Chesapeake District, Chatham Hall students design, build, code, and compete with a robot they create from the ground up. Robotics is really about teamwork. Every person contributes, every role matters, and everyone learns something new along the way.

While Molly, this year’s robot named after our beloved Molly Thomas P’06, ’08, may be the star of the show, it takes an entire drive team to keep things running. Two drivers control the robot during matches; the coach helps direct strategy and communicate with other teams; the human player has a game-specific role on the field; and the technician keeps everything moving behind the scenes, from transporting the robot to helping with last-minute fixes between matches. Abby S. ’27 explains, “Everyone on the robotics team has a unique role, [and] there are many roles beyond the drive team.”

Robotics is also about creating excitement and team spirit. Students design buttons, create animations, build cheering sections, and energize the crowd. Building a robot is only part of the experience; inspiring others is part of the culture, too.

Maryn continues, “Preparing for a robotics competition can be stressful, but it can also be a lot of fun.” Robotics Mentor Dan Waters P’14 explains, “The robotics process is a six-week-long problem-solving adventure. It includes figuring out how to best design a robot that will play the game for that particular season. Every year there is a new game.” Abby describes the season as months of preparation compressed into a short timeline. The team spends the winter brainstorming, building, coding, testing, and refining the robot before competition day arrives. Students have a limited time from the game announcement to the first competition weekend. This is by design. The quick turnaround pushes students to think on their feet and work through issues on the fly, leaving little time for testing and alterations.

Still, with all that preparation, nothing compares to being on the field at a real competition surrounded by five other robots. Mone reflects, “Competitions require both mental focus and physical energy.”

“It is hard to describe what it’s like to be at a robotics competition,” Maryn admits. “The environment is similar to an exciting sports game between rival schools. Huge teams gather in a gymnasium, transformed with a large field and pits for each team to house their robot and supplies.” Abby adds, “As the competition begins, you suddenly find flaws in the robot’s design, creating a short amount of time to fix or improve the robot and communicate with other teams about strategy. The competitions are an amazing opportunity and a really fun experience, and the challenges and setbacks make it more rewarding in the end.” Mone shares, “During competitions, seeing other teams’ robots and strategies reveals new possibilities, which is both challenging and inspiring.”

The energy is palpable. Teams cheer so loudly that it can be difficult to hear anything else. Yet amid the excitement, Maryn admits, “It always brings a smile to my face to see so many young people excited about STEM.”

The life of a driver is intense, and the entire team shares in this experience, supporting one another through every challenge and every victory. Competitions consume entire weekends, running from early morning until evening. The work is demanding, the schedule is packed, and the pressure can be significant. “Despite the competitiveness, everyone is still friendly and eager to get to know one another,” Maryn says. “I have met great girls from other teams, including teams made up mostly of men, who are excited to speak to members
of the only all-girls team in the district.”

For the Drive Team, it is worth every minute. Maryn concludes, “These competitions are a whirlwind of excitement and busy days, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”