Kei Suitt reflected on those moments with his Destrehan High School robotics teammates when they recognized they’d collectively solved a problem.
“There’s nothing really like it. It’s a dopamine rush … you’ve been fighting this problem, and sometimes it can take almost a week to fix. And when it finally clicks and you find that solution, it just feels amazing,” Suitt said.
The chance to tackle so many different challenges is what draws the Destrehan junior to robotics, which he began in the fourth grade.
At the recent Bayou Regional FIRST Robotics competition, Suitt was honored as a Leadership Award finalist. Through this award, FIRST recognizes outstanding students for their dedication and contributions to their robotics competition teams.
Each nominee is selected by their team’s coach, who selects a junior or sophomore demonstrating strong leadership qualities to go with proficiency in robotics throughout the season. Each selection should exemplify professionalism and FIRST’s core values while inspiring those around them.
Suitt is a standout with the robotics team while also excelling in his AP and honors courses at DHS.
“(Robotics) really helps stimulate your mind. It’s always something different,” Suitt said. “It’s really fun. You’re taking care of all these little challenges and new ones arise every year. And we’re like a family on our team. You spend so much time with each other and you really become family, and we all tackle it together.”
Suitt said robotics entails a great deal of time and work, but he wouldn’t trade it.
“During the season, we’re staying late nights almost every week … we’ve got such a positive vibe,” said Suitt. “We all mess with each other and we’re all friends. We have a lot of fun with it.”
Destrehan robotics coach Brian Young said Suitt is able to quickly grasp the subject matter being taught on a given day and dive deeper into that often-complex material.
“He has the ability to get a real good depth into what I’m communicating,” said DHS robotics coach Brian Young. “He listens really well and understands some very complicated stuff. And I can ask him a question and see that he gets it. It sinks in with him … and if something isn’t working, he’s not going to leave you hanging. He lets you know. I have a lot of trust in him.”
Throughout the year, the team builds, tests and refines a robot that will be entered into competition – the team’s chance to see their creation in action, as well as how it compares to others constructed by their peers.
“You see your robot up there and it’s just the idea that you’re part of creating that. We put all that work in and now it’s doing what it’s supposed to do,” Suitt said.
While Suitt knew he had been nominated by DHS robotics coach Brian Young, he said the news he had actually won the honor came unexpectedly.
“It was really a shock, because I know all these other teams have great people, our team has amazing people … you’re up against other kids who are really, really good at leading,” said Suitt.
He’s respected by his teammates and sets a positive example, Young said, which was one reason he was a natural nomination for the leadership award.
“As smart as he is, he’s easy to work with. He’s not a show-off. He’s not one to boast about how good he is. But I’ll do it for him – he’s a great kid,” Young said.
Suitt plans to study biomedical engineering at the college level.
“I want to keep creating things,” said Suitt.
