[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 9, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E560]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      GIRLS OF STEEL ROBOTICS TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL F. DOYLE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 9, 2014

  Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Girls of Steel 
robotics team on winning the Engineering Inspiration Award at the 2014 
Pittsburgh Regional F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Competition.
  This is the third year in a row in which they have won this 
prestigious award, which goes to the team that does the most to 
increase appreciation for engineering in its community. I think that 
the remarkable accomplishment of winning this award three years running 
speaks volumes about the dedication these young women have to 
engineering as well as their considerable talent.
  The Girls of Steel also won the Entrepreneurship Award at both the 
Buckeye Regional and the Greater Pittsburgh Regional competitions. This 
award recognizes a team that developed the best business plan to 
identify, manage, and accomplish its objectives.
  F.I.R.S.T., which stands for ``For Inspiration and Recognition of 
Science and Technology,'' is an organization dedicated to engaging our 
students in the vital fields of science, technology, math, and 
engineering (STEM). Hundreds of thousands of students gain practical, 
team-based engineering experiences through F.I.R.S.T. every year.
  As a founder and co-chair of the Congressional Robotics Caucus, I 
believe competitions like these are incredible tools for helping our 
young people explore potential careers in STEM. I've witnessed 
firsthand the incredible economic growth and development that these 
fields can bring in my home district, and I strongly believe that these 
fields are crucial to our Nation's future prosperity. For encouraging 
young people in these pursuits, I want to commend organizations like 
F.I.R.S.T. for their important work. The F.I.R.S.T. Robotics 
Competition allows students to apply creativity and critical thinking 
in the demanding and competitive field of robotics, all while 
instilling a strong sense of pride in participants.
  Thirty-nine young women from high schools located in and around the 
Pittsburgh area are members of this year's Girls of Steel, and in 
recognition of their hard work, intelligence, and teamwork, I would 
like to mention each of these inspiring ladies by name. They are 
Isabella Arnone, Sonia Appasamy, Arushi Bandi, Elizabeth Bianchini, 
Grace Brueggman, Abbey Ceraso, Rachel Cherian, Claudia Contreras, 
Laurel Donatelli, Samantha Eppinger, Clarisa Espinoza-Delgado, 
Mackenzie Ferris, Naoka Gunawardena, Heather Harrington, Rosanne 
Harrison, Sydney Hnat, Shoko Kanemoto, Campbell Konrad, Elizabeth 
Kysel, Jisue Lee, Sylvia Lee, Sophia Lee, Cheyenne Meyers, Gigi Nieson, 
Anne Kailin Northam, Maddie Oppelt, Simran Parwani, Korryn Resetar, 
Rachel Round, Kaitlyn Schaffer, Kriti Shah, Grace Schneider, Katie 
Shreve, Makalya Shreve, Lynn Urbina, Molly Urbina, Becca Volk, Alayna 
Yates, and Natalie Young.
  I would also like to mention that that two of the Girls of Steel, 
Simran Parwani of Fox Chapel High School and Sylvie Lee from Shady Side 
Academy, were awarded the prestigious F.I.R.S.T. Dean's List Award. 
This award highlights and celebrates exemplary student leaders who 
demonstrate and embody F.I.R.S.T.'s ideals.
  Additionally, I want to convey my sincere appreciation to the staff 
of Carnegie Mellon University's Field Robotics Center, who have 
mentored the Girls of Steel since 2010. Because of their efforts, more 
young women can experience real-world technological challenges and 
learn from some of the Nation's best at solving these problems. These 
experiences will certainly benefit these young women in the future.
  I look forward to hearing about their progress as they advance to the 
F.I.R.S.T. Championship in St. Louis--the final and largest competition 
of its kind. This will be their fourth trip in four years and they will 
be competing against top teams from all over the world. I congratulate 
the Girls of Steel and wish them all continued success in their 
academic and professional endeavors.

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