After a standout season in FIRST LEGO League, Sabrina J. and Sana M. advanced to the 2025 Asia Pacific Open Championship in Sydney, Australia, where they represented the United States against top teams from around the world. Their journey to the international stage began with an exceptional performance at the VA-DC FIRST LEGO League Challenge Championship (Division 2), where they earned the Judges Award for their overall robot design and innovation project. They also qualified for that championship round after achieving the highest robot game score at the DC Regional Competition.

At the Asia Pacific Open Championship, nearly 60 teams from 22 countries competed, making for an incredibly competitive and inspiring global event. Sabrina and Sana rose to the challenge, earning 3rd place for their Innovation Design for their project focused on a real-world environmental issue. Their solution utilized artificial intelligence to detect and remove invasive lionfish from U.S. coastal waters, showcasing both creativity and a strong understanding of real-world problem-solving.

Their achievement highlights not only their technical skills and innovation, but also their ability to compete and succeed on an international stage. We are incredibly proud of Sabrina and Sana for representing Nysmith and the United States with such distinction.