A team of seven talented students from John Wollaston Anglican Community School (JWACS) has achieved outstanding international success, placing in the top five globally for ‘Robot Design’ at the 2025 FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) World Championships, held in Houston, Texas during the April school holidays.
The FIRST LEGO League is a renowned global STEM competition that challenges students to design, build, and program autonomous robots to complete complex missions, while also developing innovative solutions to real-world problems.
Competing against more than 160 teams from 70 countries, the JWACS team stood out for their ingenuity, teamwork, and technical skill. Their top-five placement in Robot Design reflects not only their impressive engineering capabilities but also their creative problem-solving and collaboration under pressure.
“This result is a testament to the students’ dedication, perseverance, and passion for robotics,” said team coach and Science teacher Chrisna LeVaillant. “Our students have worked incredibly hard, and to be recognised on the world stage is an extraordinary achievement.”
Year 10 student Alexis reflected on the journey:
“My interest in robotics was sparked by FLL, and JWACS supported us with the time and resources we needed to grow. Our team became like a mini-family — we bonded so much over the Submerged FLL season. My favourite memory was the day we won our award in Houston. Celebrating together was so much fun!”
Fellow Year 10 teammate Oviya shared a similar sentiment:
“Meeting teams from around the world was a highlight. It was inspiring to see so many people with the same passion for robotics. We’re more than just a robotics team — we’ve become close friends through all the highs and lows of the journey. I know these friendships will last for years to come.”
John Wollaston is widely recognised for its strength in Science and STEM education. Principal Tim Russell praised the achievement:
“We have a vibrant Science program at JWACS, supported by outstanding teaching staff and a range of curricular and cocurricular opportunities. The whole school community followed the FLL team’s journey with pride. We are beyond proud of these seven remarkable students and their dedicated teachers for representing our school — and Australia — so brilliantly on the world stage.”
