When Alex Miller and two other local teens shared the news two weeks ago that they would be competing in the international Marine Advanced Technology Education Remotely Operated Vehicle (MATE ROV) competition, we asked if he would check back in after they returned home. He obliged with this report (and the photo above) – take note of the fundraising they’re planning!

The international MATE ROV competition was put on the weekend of the 23rd in Orlando, and we were very grateful to participate in it. This was a great educational experience for us, because it allowed us to gain a perspective on the maritime=technology industry. For example we had conversations with representatives from many of the industry’s leading companies. Overall, we finished 19th out of 32 teams at our level. We were also one of three primarily middle-school-age teams, the smallest team attending (with only three team members), and the only team not affiliated with a school or organization. In addition to these accomplishments, our CEO (Clara Orndorff) won an award for being helpful towards other teams. We are already considering improvements for next year. To finance these expenditures, we will be holding bake sales throughout the summer at the intersection of 59th Avenue SW and Alki Avenue.

Clara is 15; Alex and their teammate Nicholas Orndorff are 13. Congratulations to them for their achievement!