Mindszenty High School (MHS) is a private, non-for-profit Catholic Mission School situated in Koror, Republic of Palau. It is the nation’s only private Catholic secondary school under the supervision of both the Catholic Vicariate of Palau and the Ministry of Education.

MHS offers a diverse curriculum of courses that meet national guidelines for secondary education, and within this selection, various electives are offered. One such class is Robotics, offered primarily for fourth year (senior) students. The aim of the course centers on introducing the fundamentals of general electronics with an emphasis on assembling robots. The course is taught by Mr. Paul R. CRUZ, a long-time teacher at MHS. Originally from the Philippines, Mr. Cruz moved to Palau in 2011 and began teaching Geometry, Trigonometry, Electronics, and Robotics at Mindszenty High School. Over the years, he has also balanced other responsibilities that included but were not limited to serving as a homeroom moderator, facilitator of the US Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), and the US Department of Education’s Educated Talent Search Program.

Assisting in this year’s competition is Mr. Sylvester Francis ALONZ, MHS’s College Counselling Teacher who assists students in university and career guidance and the school in various national and international programs. Mr. ALONZ agrees to be a primary contact/facilitator that will assist the team in any and all technical aspects of organizing this year’s competition.

MHS is the only high school in Palau with an active robotics program. We are grateful for the opportunity presented by FIRST Global to pilot the first national team. By networking with our partners and sister schools, we hope to one day promote the course among all high schools to widen our outreach to a wider population.

Students

Ms. Amira Yasuko RUDIMCH
“My name is Amira Yasuko Rudimch, I am a junior/11th year student at Mindszenty High School and I attended Maris Stella School. I find robotics/STEM interesting because it helps me understand the complexity of things that we tend to think are simple. My plan for the future is to further my knowledge so that I’ll be able to do big things.”

Ms. Dawn Klong RECHEMANG
“My name is Dawn Klong RECHEMANG, a 16-year-old upcoming junior/11th grade student at Mindszenty High School and also attended Maris Stella School. I find robotics interesting because I am able to further my understanding on the way technology works. I enjoy problem solving and critical thinking. I also find how the designing and construction of machines can result in robots performing tasks humans cannot. In the future, I want to be an engineer or marine biologist. By learning robotics, this can further my understanding on how modern technology works and that may be able to help me in the future.”

Ms. Bernize Lorraine S. GEPTY
“My name is Bernize Lorraine S. GEPTY, a 17-year-old upcoming senior/12th grade student at Mindszenty High School, who previously attended Koror Elementary School. I have a hobby of assembling intricate Lego builds. The concept of small pieces turning into one complex object amazes me, and that is why Robotics is so interesting. I am fascinated by the idea of building machines from small pieces to one unit, and seeing them move and do things no Lego build could do. I want to see science itself, physically present in the moment, with my very eyes. That’s why I want to try Robotics, to experience what it would be like if I applied STEM to my personal hobbies.”

Ms. Emi YONEZAWA
“My name is Emi YONEZAWA, an upcoming senior/12th grade student at Mindszenty High School, who previously attended Maris Stella School. I find robotics interesting because I thought it will be fun to learn how to assemble a robot. I am thinking of going to college in Japan to learn about either foreign language/culture or tourism, but I am still not sure.”

Mr. Benjamin MOSES
“My name is Benjamin Moses, a 17-year-old upcoming senior/12th grade student at Mindszenty High School who previously attended Maris Stella School. The thing I find interesting about robotics is how all these different things contribute to how a system operates. Like in a robot, you need to have all these tiny components in order for it to function. So, knowing what needs to go into a system in order for it to work and being able to arrange those things is interesting. In the future, I plan to get a bachelor’s degree in engineering. After, I plan to get a job that allows me to be on the construction side of engineering. For example, putting together parts to make a car rather than being in the design part. However, if there is an opportunity for me to be in the design department, then I will try it.”

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