FINAL SHOT AT FIRST TECH CHALLENGE BEFORE LOOKING TO CAREER
Dervette Mignott Captain and Programming Lead of the robotics team, ‘The Lady Bots’ at St Hilda’s Diocesan High, Brown’s Town, St Ann, had a slow and tentative involvement in robotics.
She will be leading the team this weekend, as she participates for the final time in the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Jamaica National Robotics Championship, at Jamaica College in St Andrew.
In an interview with JIS News she recalled being fascinated the first time she saw a robot, six years ago. “It was beyond fascinating to see how a bunch of aluminium pieces were able to function and carry out tasks without direct human assistance. Words will never be enough to explain what that morning did to 13-year-old me,” she said.
She joined the robotics club at her school in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The grade-13 student has been participating in the championship for the past four years.
This is her final year with the team as she will be pursuing tertiary studies in the field of logistics and hopes to merge it with her love for robotics.
“The knowledge and experience that I’ve gained over these few years will undoubtedly assist me to help my country to modernise its ports and supply chain, with the aim of developing Jamaica as a premier logistics hub in the Western Hemisphere,” she told JIS News in the interview.
Reflecting on her progress in the club where she has taken on different roles, Dervette said: “I’m way better than I was back then. More importantly, I’ve gained a level of confidence that I never imagined I’d have at this stage. Robotics has taught me to speak up, share my ideas and take the lead when necessary.”
She expresses gratitude to FTC Jamaica and the various sponsors of the competition for the opportunity to explore a field that has been empowering students like her to push boundaries and break barriers in fields where Jamaicans are often under-represented.
(Editor’s Note: This story was produced for the North Coast Times from an interview feature by Judana Murphy of JIS)
