A Bogo junior high student shares her journey to winning gold in a national RoboSports tourney

Yhen Meagan Sitee and Kian Derrota, Junior high school students of City of Bogo Science and Arts Academy, have won the gold medal for 2 kg boxbot category of the RoboSports Tournament in Cavite. | Contributed photo

CONSOLACION, Cebu – For some students, the COVID-19 pandemic has weakened their sense of eagerness in pursuing extracurricular activities, but some students took it as an opportunity to recuperate and learn the newest innovations in technology that our world has yet to offer.

Yhen Meagan Sitee is one of the 4 students from the City of Bogo Science and Arts Academy (CBSAA) who won gold medals during the De La Salle Medical Health Institute (DLSMHSI) RoboSports Tournament 2023 on Feb. 4, 2023, inside the Animo Center in Dasmariñas City, Cavite.

Integrating sports, namely: hockey, sumo, and boxing in Robotics are the key themes of the tournament which promotes Science, Robotics, and Sports among enthusiasts of different ages.

2kg Boxbot category winners

Along with Sitee in winning first place is her partner, Kian Derrota, representing CBSAA in the 2kg Boxbot Category, while classmates; Floyd Calvin Verdida and Genesis Khalel Ramos also won first place in the 1kg Boxbot Category.

In an interview with CDN, Sitee said that after being stuck inside their house due to the pandemic, it was time for her to grab the chance and experience Robotics once and for all.

“Di jud ko ganahan ipal[a]bay ang chance kay lagi last year na lang ni nako as a Junior High student, and wa sad koy sure if naa pa bay lain opportunities moabot,” Sitee said.

(I did not want to throw away the chance because this is my last year as a Junior High student, and I am not sure if there are other opportunities that may arrive.)

Sitee with her partner, Derrota, participated in the Regional RoboQuest event, under the category of SumoBot 1kg held last Dec. 18, 2022, in Cebu Technical University – Danao Campus. Although they did not win the title for their designated division, they were still invited to participate in the Nationals upon the program’s conclusion.

Regardless of the good news, Sitee recalled the difficulties they encountered during the course of their training for the national competition.

Challenges

“Daghan jud kaayu ang challenges na among naencounter. Usa na ang pagchange-change sa mind sa amoang head na iallow mi niya mojoin sa RoboSport because kay pandemic pa,” Sitee said.

(There were many challenges that we encountered. One of that is our head, who would change his mind every now and then to allow us to join the RoboSport because it is still the time of the pandemic.)

But the students instead of being discouraged saw this as an opportunity to prove to their head that this was an event worth going to.

The students then started their training for RoboSports in January until the date for the national competition draw nearer

“We were really aiming to win. Dili ra para sa name sa among school kundi sa among self sad,” Sitee said.

(We were really aiming to win. We were doing this not only for the name of the school but also for ourselves.)

Despite the challenges, Sitee and her partner still fulfilled their goal in finishing Junior High with flying colors through Robotics.

“Since day one, ka God jud ko nangayo og help. I trusted him, so ni trust sad ko sa akong self. You should never lose hope even if there are many challenges you’re going to face. You need to believe in yourself in order for you to reach your goals,” Sitee added.

(Since day one, I asked help from God. I trusted him, so I trusted myself too. You should never lose hope even if there are many challenges you’re going to face. You need to believe in yourself in order for you to reach your goals.)

Yhen Meagan Sitee and three of her junior high school classmates of the City of Bogo Science and Arts Academy win gold medals in the RoboSports Tournament in Dasmariñas City in Cavite on Feb. 4, 2023. | Contributed photo

Gratitude to supporters

Sitee expresses her gratitude to all those, who assisted in resolving the difficulties she and her classmates had, which happily resulted in their attendance at the national competition and eventually bagging the title.

“Mapangitaan ra jud og paagi ang tanan. Sa giingon pa, if there’s a will, there’s a way. Wala man sad mi, but naningkamot mi to ask support from different people. Dili ra among parents ang nagcarry sa burden namo sa Robotics, but the school and the LGU kay nitabang sad just to make Robotics possible,” Sitee said.

(We can always look for ways to solve a problem. As the saying goes, if there’s a will, there’s a way. We also are not rich, but we worked hard to ask support from different people. It was not only our parents, who carried the burden of our robotics stint, but the school and the LGU also helped to make our robotics dream possible.) | Jessa Ngojo — CDN Digital Intern

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