Yesterday Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony paid a visit to the headquarters of Team Guyana Robotics 2024. During the visit the minister praised the team’s remarkable achievements and commitment to representing Guyana at the upcoming First Global Challenge (FGC) robotics competition in Athens, Greece. The minister, a long-time supporter of STEM education and innovation, has been actively working to ensure that the team’s participation in the global event is fully supported.
Anthony expressed his admiration for the team’s hard work, particularly in designing, programming, and building a cutting-edge robot that will compete against other top teams from around the world. “The work that these students are doing is impressive, not just for their technical expertise but also for the creativity and problem-solving skills they are demonstrating,” said the minister during his address to the team. “These skills will serve them well in their future careers, especially in the rapidly evolving STEM fields.”
The minister also took the opportunity to share his own experiences with innovative technology in Guyana, particularly the country’s telemedicine program. Rolled out in nearly 50 interior and rural communities, this program connects health centers with internet access to doctors in Georgetown, providing much-needed healthcare services to remote areas that previously had limited or no access to medical professionals. “Technology is changing lives in our country. In the same way that telemedicine is bringing quality healthcare to communities that would never have received it before, your work in robotics has the potential to transform industries and solve real-world problems,” Minister Anthony told the students.
During the visit, the minister met members, learning about their roles in the project and their future career aspirations. He was particularly impressed by the skill, determination, and passion of the students, many of whom plan to pursue careers in various STEM disciplines, ranging from engineering to computer science. Minister Anthony wished them every success in their preparations and upcoming competition, underscoring the importance of their participation on the global stage as representatives of Guyana.
Team Leader Lateisha McArthur informed the minister about the intricacies of the 2024 FGC challenge, while Gabriella Roberts shared some of the challenges the team members have had to overcome in creating an innovative robot for competition. Team member Jaden DaViera spoke about the benefits of being a member of the team and the value of the program to the development of Guyana.
In addition to Minister Anthony’s support, Team Guyana Robotics 2024 members extended heartfelt thanks to the minister’s daughters Jessica and Ashley Anthony for their contributions to the team’s participation and development this year. Their support has been instrumental in helping the team navigate some of the challenges of preparing for an international competition.
While Team Guyana members still await visa confirmation, the encouragement of leaders like Minister Anthony, the financial support from the Ministry of Education and the collective support of some members of Guyana’s private sector, the Guyana Robotics team is poised for success at the FGC in Athens, where they will showcase their innovative robot and the talent of Guyana’s future STEM leaders. Traveling to Athens Greece are mentors Fiona Rambarran and Ariel Taylor, and team members Lateisha Mc Arthur, David Da Silva, Tejasvarun Kandavel, Gabriella Roberts and Lucas Simpson.
