Two students from Naperville’s Chasewood Learning recently competed in the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) international finals in Izmir, Turkey.
Twelve-year-olds Tristan Souza and Sawyer Rinn, under the team name Johnny 5 v2.0, placed fifth among over 100 teams from 90 countries.
“Sawyer’s from Geneva, Tristan is from Hinsdale, and they both came to our robotics program by different means, but they come together as a team. Sawyer is very good at programming and building. Tristan is very good at strategy and analysis,” said William Wong, founder of Chasewood Learning.
Getting to the Word Robot Olympiad finals
To qualify for the finals, the boys, led by coach Wong, finished third at the World Robot Olympiad USA nationals in July. The finals, held from Nov. 28 to Nov. 30, required participants to design, build, and code robots to autonomously complete multiple tasks.
“Coaches or adults are not allowed to talk to the students, so they’re all on their own for the whole two days. What’s impressive is they work through their problems. So problem-solving and teamwork are critical for their success and they were mature, calm, and did wonderful,” said Wong.
The journey to the top five involved 40 revisions and 700 hours of work, but the boys said the effort was well worth it.
“It was really fun and competitive. It was fun when I got to meet new kids all over the country and the world,” said Tristan Souza.
Bill Foster presents a Congressional Record statement to the students
To celebrate the achievement, Chasewood Learning hosted an open house on Dec. 14 to showcase its robotics teams. The students even received a visit from Congressman Bill Foster, who presented them with a Congressional Record statement.
“Bill’s been a really big supporter of our program. He’s been to several of our events. Him coming here just shows the importance of STEM and STEM learning in the community,” said Wong.
While placing in the top five was a remarkable accomplishment, an even greater reward was the memories created during the experience.
“It isn’t just being there, it’s also making new relationships and understanding there’s a big world out there,” said Wong.
Valhallan Esports Training facility opens in Naperville
Wong also opened a Valhallan Esports Training facility in Naperville at 1701 Quincy Ave Unit 10.
“Valhallan is a franchise nationwide where kids come in to be on an e-sports team. It’s like Little League for esports. We have coaches, we have curriculum, and there’s certain league nights that they have to compete in,” said Wong.
Wong said he brought the program to Naperville to offer more innovative afterschool opportunities in the area.
“So just being part of either Chasewood or Valhallan, you’re part of a community. You make friends for life here. Our philosophy is we let the kids do the work. We want the kids to succeed and be able to be independent and be problem solvers on their own,” said Wong.
About Chasewood Learning
Chasewood Learning, founded in 2013, is an afterschool STEM education program offering robotics, coding, and engineering classes, camps, and competitions at all levels.
The facility is located at 1701 Quincy Ave Ste 9, Naperville.
Photo courtesy: Chasewood Learning
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