Ayer Shirley Regional High School sophomore Evelyn Balmos says that she likes being involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), and that she has been involved in robotics since she was “really young.”
A stickler for detail, she serves on the high school’s FIRST® robotics team, Andromeda One (4905), as a Rules and Strategy team member. Her role is to go through the rule book and help figure out the strategy for the FIRST Robotics robot build and game; to scout the competing teams’ robots for strategy; and to analyze the data.
All of that planning paid off this year, as Balmos not only was chosen as one of six Leadership Award finalists from the New England District, which is made up of 200 teams, but Andromeda One also received the FIRST Impact Award at the New England District Championships, which qualified the team for the FIRST World Championships in Houston, Texas, April 29-May 2.
And that is not all–at the World Championships, Andromeda One battled its way to become the 2026 Milstein Division Champions.
“For the first time in our team’s 13-year history,” the team proudly announced on its Facebook page, “we made it to the playoffs at the World Championships and came home with our first-ever event win.”
A Success Story
Andromeda One’s thirteenth season started in January 2026, with the announcement of the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition season game REBUILT. This year’s 4905 robot, built to adhere to all of the game’s rules and strategies, is named Fuel Raider.
During REBUILT, robots scored fuel (yellow balls), crossed obstacles, climbed a tower, and earned match bonuses to become the winning alliance.
“It was an exciting week with my robotics team at the FIRST World Championship in Houston, TX,” announced team founder Christine Miska on Facebook after the team arrived home on May 3. “Our finalist Impact Award team and Leadership Award finalist, Evelyn, qualified the team for the championship.
“Our robot and drive team exceeded all expectations with an undefeated first day, a qualification rank that elevated us to 3rd out of 75 teams, and we won the blue winner banner and tall trophy on the Milstein field along with our alliance partners FRC 1678, FRC 2481, and FRC 4915.
“We competed in the Einstein field playoffs with the best teams in the world, which is the pinnacle for FIRST robotics teams. I’m proud of these kids and the dedicated mentors who accomplished so much, and I’m grateful for our sponsors, the school, and the community that cheered us on every step of the way!!”
One of those dedicated mentors is Pamela Clemence. Now in her tenth year serving as a 4905 mentor, she has served in various roles, including that of assistant coach, and is now the team’s head coach.
She and her husband Randy, have two daughters, Abigail and Annabelle, both of whom were avid Andromeda One team members. Like her daughters, Clemence is passionate about STEM and education, and she sees the benefits her daughters gained from robotics. Both received college scholarships and are pursuing careers in engineering.
This year’s high school team has 14 active mentors and 21 students. This is Evelyn’s second year on the team.
Evelyn’s goal is to be involved in aerospace and biotechnical engineering and to become a pilot. “My Dad is a software engineer, and he taught me coding since I was little,” she said.
Besides robotics, Evelyn is involved in Girl Scouts, Leadership Club, the Ayer Shirley Education Foundation, and the high school’s Community Enrichment Program, which focuses on retirement homes (Evelyn is its resident photographer), and on student council, where she serves as vice president. She is also interning as a biochemist laboratory assistant at the Toxics Use Reduction Institute in Lowell.
As if that were not enough, Evelyn also produces Andromeda One’s Impact Award videos. Seeing her video displayed on the big screen at a competition was “one of the most breathtaking experiences I have ever had!” she exclaimed.
Clemence emphasized that Andromeda One serves as a great learning and teaching experience for every student on the team. This year alone, the team has two seniors who will soon be attending WPI, one who is enrolled at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, another at UMass Amherst, and yet another going into the United States Air Force.
How Can You Help?
Although the team has returned from Houston, it is still looking for help with the expensive trip, which required airfare tickets and a hotel stay. The team has several generous corporate sponsors, but its annual budget is upwards of $60,000.
To make a donation to help support the team’s trip to Houston, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-andromeda-one-reach-the-world-championships?utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv2_a1demont5z8gff.