The GaCo Blog

Proud. adjective and in this case, we’ll take the first definition: 1.feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements, qualities, or possessions or those of someone with whom one is closely associated. Or, in other words, being proud about something could be something that you’d like everyone to know about you. With this definition in mind, what makes you most proud of GaCo? You probably have heard it said that GaCo makes Garrett County very proud. But why? Is it the awards we have been fortunate to have received or the competitions we have won? Would it be because about 85% of our students go on to pursue STEM related careers? How about the fact that we are a year-round FRC team, meeting diligently every 1st and 3rd Monday of every month? Or that we have over thirty students from two rival high schools on one team? I suppose that all of these things we could make us proud of GaCo. But what makes me most proud is the ability GaCo has to make a difference

It’s the 15th of October and it’s becoming more and more apparent that GaCo is much more than just about robots. GaCo is about vision and passion. Recently, I’ve become a fan of bluegrass music. One song in particular has caught my attention entitled “The 15th of October” by Volume Five. Calm down, I know it’s about moonshiners (surprise) and talks about becoming serious about getting their product to market before winter sets in. But to me, the song is about passion. All summer long this crew was sort of half passionate about their craft - which I am not endorsing in anyway! But when the 15th of October came along, it was (in the words of the song) “time to get sober boys.” In the words of GaCo, it’s the 15th of October - it’s time to get even more passionate. GaCo’s vision inspires passion. But it’s time we get even more passionate. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen much passion in GaCo students. For instance, it was passion that drove GaCo students to meet at 5:30am Friday before last t

Students from the Book of Life Academy around our FRC Robot in Annapolis with GaCo students Kelli Catulle and Cheyenne Reckart Cheyenne and Kelli sharing about FIRST at the MABE Conference When we pulled into the parking lot, GaCo knew we where at the right place! Recipients of a GaCo LEGO Top Spinner after an impromptu Waypoint lesson at the Blue Ridge Brawl offseason event in which  GaCo competed on Saturday, Oct 5, at Salem High School, VA. Mariah and Cheyenne setting up GaCo's Driver's Station at the Blue Ridge Brawl. Last week, from Wednesday to late Saturday night, GaCo logged another 1,250 miles making a difference to students from Annapolis, Maryland, to Wise County, Virginia, located between Kentucky and Tennessee. That’s over twenty hours of driving time! GaCo’s adventure began on Wednesday when we sought out a small private school in Annapolis to teach our STEM Waypoint Lessons to its 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students, about two doze