Honored For Robotics Team Leadership: Greendale Student Awarded

GREENDALE, WI — Megan Volkening, a senior at Greendale High School, was one of 10 people across North America recently awarded with Dean's List honors by the FIRST Tech Challenge, according to a news release from the Greendale School District.

Volkening was awarded following her experience as a team captain and mechanical lead for GRAFFITI, Greendale High School's robotics team, the news release said. FIRST Tech Challenge— meaning "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology"— says it gives the award to student leaders across the country who have achieved personal technical expertise.

Volkening's coaches have said she was instrumental in starting the robotics program at Greendale High School and she has been a leader since the team's inception in 2020, according to the district news release. She has also coached an elementary school FIRST LEGO League Explore Team, advised a FIRST robotics team in Israel, and developed a Women in STEM webinar alongside her teammates.

Volkening started participating in FIRST Robotics in 2016. Alongside her teams, she qualified for the World Championship in 2017,2020 and 2021, the district news release said. In April at a Wisconsin state championship, Volkening received one of three Dean's List Finalist Awards, qualifying her for the national dean's list honor. She will receive a personal trophy and a plaque for Greendale High School, plus a college recommendation letter from FIRST leadership.

Greendale Robotics Advocating for FIRST and Inspiring Tomorrow's Innovators, otherwise known as GRAFFITI, was a rookie team with a group of four girls and five boys when it placed second at the Wisconsin FTC Championship in April 2021, the news release said. It then advanced to the world championship but it was canceled because of COVID-19.

Looking ahead to 2022, GRAFFITI has a team of 20 students planning to participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition, which pits industrial-sized robots against each other for sports-style tournaments. FIRST was founded in 1992 by Dean Kamen.