15 Dec How This FIRST Global Alum is Transforming Venezuela into a Robotics Powerhouse

Seeds planted by FIRST Global in the hearts of students are blossoming into leaders who are entrepreneurs, advocates, and mentors just six years after the inaugural FIRST Global Challenge. Here is the story of Emanuel from Venezuela.

Emanuel (left) at the 2017 FIRST Global Challenge in Washington, D.C.

Emanuel from Venezuela

Emanuel Andrade, a 2017 alumnus, is another example of the impact FIRST Global alumni are having around the world.

When Emanuel joined the inaugural FIRST Global Team Venezuela, he had no prior experience with robotics and did not consider himself a STEM advocate.

“I always had a curiosity for electronics but never had the opportunity for testing that… but FIRST Global gave me that opportunity. For me, FIRST Global literally changed my life. I went from being a high school student to being an advocate for changing the culture of my country.”

The 2023 Copa Ka’i tournament in Venezuela.

Since 2019, he has served as FIRST Global Team Venezuela’s primary mentor and, like Keeghan, his experience at the 2017 Challenge directly influenced his work spreading STEM opportunities in his country.

“I remember seeing all those robots and saying ‘wow, it’s amazing what they can build,’ and I said ‘I know that our people can do that too.’ So I want[ed] to learn more so I can share with more people.”

Just this year, Emanuel and Team Venezuela made a major advancement: hosting their first-ever national selection tournament with over 130 students in attendance from 16 schools, both public and private.

“Before 2022 there had never been a robotics competition in Venezuela so we did a pilot edition, but this year we wanted to do it bigger… so we are really happy with the progress that we’ve made.”

Hosting this tournament and gaining publicity for youth robotics was seen by FIRST Global Team Venezuela as important because of the skills students develop participating.

“It’s an accelerator for mechanics, programming, and the technical parts, but also for working in groups, managing stress, managing time, and managing resources… It can change your mindset. It can change how you think and how you see the world.”

This year, all of their hard work paid off big; their team won the highest FIRST Global honor—the Albert Einstein Award for FIRST Global International Excellence.

Reflecting on how robotics in Venezuela has changed since 2017, Emanuel shared, “Now seeing that we have teams in Venezuela that got sponsored—that companies are helping them, that schools are committed to FIRST—it shows how important FIRST Global has been in this country, and I know that this is the way that other countries can have it too.”