Healey cheers on North Andover robotics teams | Local News

NORTH ANDOVER — Gov. Maura Healey visited North Andover High School on a recent Monday morning to wish robotics teams A and C good luck as they prepare to compete in the Vex Robotics World Championships in Dallas.

“We’re super proud of all of you,” Healey said.

The governor’s visit to the high school followed her attendance earlier that morning at a ribbon cutting for the new Amazon facility in North Andover, which relies on applied robotics.

Healey told students in the robotics lab at the high school that they are an important part of the robotics sector, a key part of the state’s economy.

Students demonstrated how the robots they built and programmed could perform in competition, crossing obstacles on a 12-by-12-foot field, and picking up triangular shapes and shooting them into a goal.

Superintendent Gregg Gilligan introduced the governor to Mike Motherway, who founded the program in 2006 and is now retired. He also introduced Bennett Ahearn, the robotics and technology teacher who took over for Motherway in October.

State Sen. Bruce Tarr and State Reps. Adrianne Ramos and Tram Nguyen were also in attendance.

Healey read a proclamation declaring April 8 to 16 to be Robotics Week in Massachusetts.

“We could not have a better place to celebrate National Robotics Week than right here, in North Andover, where we have two teams” going to the world championship, Healey said.

The championships take place in Dallas on April 25.