MAC Students Win National Gold at SkillsUSA Mobile Robotics Competition

 

Mineral Area College students Audrey Barry and Matthew Laird placed first in the country at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference held during the week of June 1–5. In Atlanta, Georgia

The duo won the gold medal in the Mobile Robotics Technology competition for the College/Postsecondary division. The contest requires teams to design, code, build, and drive a robot to complete a specific task designed by the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation and SkillsUSA. Barry and Laird spent the academic year refining their design, ultimately defeating the state champions from every participating state—including Alabama, the division's dominant program for seven of the last eight years. The only other team to disrupt Alabama's streak was also from Mineral Area College, when Jacob Drennen and Dean Parker won gold in 2023.

Both competitors are alumni of Unitec Career Center, and were mentored by their former instructor Greg Nichols. In a cross-campus partnership, Barry and Laird utilized the specialized shop space at Unitec Career Center, volunteering their time to set up and referee local youth STEM events in exchange for the use of the facilities.

Barry is a sophomore from Park Hills and is pursuing an Associate of Applied Science in Electrical/Electronics Technology. Laird is a freshman from Potosi. He is currently working on his Associate of Arts. Post-MAC, he will transfer to a university to complete a degree in Environmental Engineering.

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