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Students from Nunez Community College Robotics Team 57245, in black, and Our Lady of Prompt Succor (OLPS) School’s Patriots, in green, participate in the college’s inaugural FIRST LEGO League Tournament in December 2025. Three Nunez teams and OLPS advanced to state competition in February at Jesuit High School.
Nunez Community College Robotics closed 2025 with three teams headed to state competition in the FIRST LEGO League, and one team celebrating a successful first turn as tournament hosts.
Nunez FRC (First Robotics Competition) Team 9456, comprised of 9th-12th graders, ran the event, serving as proctors and judges overseeing eight teams of elementary and middle school students on the Nunez campus. Four of the eight competing teams would program their way to state competition in February at Jesuit High School in New Orleans. Team 9456 set up the competition space to strict specifications, constructing and organizing nearly 20 LEGO obstacles. Then it was up to the competing teams to program their wheeled LEGO robots to navigate the table and manipulate the obstacles, using various attachments to push or pull switches and levers.
In the end, three Nunez teams and the Patriots of Our Lady of Prompt Succor (OLPS) School in St. Bernard Parish earned the highest overall scores, advancing to state competition. Teams from Andrew Jackson Middle School in St. Bernard Parish and Alice Harte, Andrew Wilson and Dwight D. Eisenhower Charter Schools in New Orleans rounded out the field.
Nunez Team 56846 took home the Champions and Innovation Awards. OLPS earned the Core Values Award. And Nunez Teams 54266 and 57245 shared the Robot Design Award.
Dr. Julie Rexford, Director of the STEAM Division at Nunez and staff sponsor for the Robotics Program, had high praise for both the older Robotics students, Team 9456, who organized the competition, and the younger teams who mustered all their skills to compete.
“I could not be more proud of each and every student in our program. All the Nunez Robotics teams are community-based teams that came together to do amazing things,” said Dr. Rexford. “FRC Team 9456 went from competing to taking on leadership roles, including scoring matches. To see these students grow over the years into this role is incredible. I’m so proud of the leadership they displayed during the tournament.”
FRC Team 9456 began its competition season on Jan. 12 and is seeking new members. Students or their parents can reach out to Dr. Rexford at [email protected].
In addition to learning the STEM-based aspects of robotics and traveling around the south to various competitions, Team 9456 members will have the chance to learn promotional skills like video production, business and marketing. “If you’re a high school student who is interested in building robots, we have a place for you,” said Dr. Rexford.
