BearBella #21393 is Dr. Norman Bethune Collegiate Institute’s all-girls robotics team. They have just completed their second year competing in the FIRST Tech Challenge. This group of remarkable female entrepreneurs, designers, artists, and coders was selected to represent Canada at the FIRST Global Challenge in Athens due to their ingenuity, resilience, and gracious professionalism.

Overcoming adversity and learning from their rookie season, BearBella triumphed this year, embodying the spirit of innovation. They received the Control Award and the Connect Award, and at the Ontario FTC Provincials, they were part of the Winning Alliance and placed third in the Inspire Award category.

In addition to their competitive success, BearBella is dedicated to community outreach. As founders of GIRLS for STEM, they have inspired many young people, making STEM education accessible and approachable.

Although much of the team is graduating this year, they are leaving a legacy of hope and inspiration. The five remaining members are ready to step up and take on the challenge of Feeding the Future. Meet Team Canada 2024’s members:

Judy: HI! My name is Judy and I am a builder and next year’s captain. I am excited to be participating in the upcoming FIRST Global Challenge. Though I have always had an interest in hands-on activities and robotics, I never took the leap of faith to join…that is until I decided to join BearBella. Despite not knowing anything or anyone, it did not turn out to be as intimidating as I thought it would be. From the initial jump to now, I have gained so many experiences, learned valuable lessons, and gained so much insight and advice from the people I’ve met along the way as well as from my lovely BearBella members. My journey with BearBella has been nothing short of adventures and I can’t wait to continue the fun next year!

Ariana: Hi! So I’m Ariana and this was my first year delving into robotics as part of the engineering portfolio team which I will be leading in the upcoming season and in Greece! I had always felt daunted yet unexplainably drawn to the idea of joining the STEM but more specifically the robotics field which was dominated by individuals I believed were far more qualified than I ever could’ve been. I was actually very reluctant to join, believing I lacked experience and skill, yet I still jumped at the opportunity to be part of what is now BearBella full of nerves and excitement. Needless to say, it was all I ever dreamed of and more as our team became an amazing family of strong girls in STEM, genuinely guiding me through high school and helping me learn so much. I truly appreciate FIRST and my BearBella family for making this safe space for me to explore STEM and hope to inspire others who are just as daunted as I was and continue the BearBella legacy.

Elvira: Hi, my name is Elvira and I’m a builder and I’m also planning on driving for our upcoming competition in Greece for the FIRST Global Challenge. I have always been interested in computers growing up and I’ve built computers in the past and I want to try building a keyboard but it’s quite expensive just for a keyboard. I was originally on outreach for robotics since I want to pursue business or accounting in the future, but somehow I started building and I found that way more fun. Joining robotics has inspired me, because our team went from being ranked almost last in Ontario to being 3rd in one year. It really shows that anything is possible even if half our team didn’t believe it.

Nancy: HI! My name is Nancy and I am a part of the social media team for BearBella, I’ll also be helping out with outreach for our upcoming FIRST Global Challenge competition in Athens, Greece! Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been drawn to cartoons that explored futuristic technology and robotics concepts. This early fascination ignited my passion for STEM fields as I entered high school. Leading to me being a part of Bearbella, joining the team has not only allowed me to venture into the robotics field, but also learn valuable skills outside of the world of programming and building. Despite this being my first year with the team, I’ve already learnt so much about STEM and teamwork!

Dilaany: Hi, my name is Dilaany and I’m media but an aspiring programmer for BearBella. I have always had an ambition to pursue a career in STEM and the opportunities FIRST Tech Challenge allowed me to tinker with robotics. Ever since I was little, I was curious to know the intricacy of Boston Dynamic’s dancing robots or the innovation in creating AI. I want to be a part of this change in society which FIRST Tech Challenge enabled. I’ll be continuing my robotics journey by attending the FIRST Global Challenge in Athens, Greece this year. I’m excited to see what the future holds for BearBella and FIRST!

Thank you to our supporters!

Team Media