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For the six seniors on Walker’s all-girls robotics team – The Spyder Bytes – it isn’t all about
winning. It’s about building a legacy.
The after school club team, which was established last year and meets three afternoons a week, plans to focus on growing in number and being more competitive during its second year.
“We were rookies last year, so we didn’t really expect any wins, but I was very proud of the
effort everyone put in,” said senior Anna Ronsini, The Spyder Bytes team lead. “This year, we
plan on doing a lot more outreach and being more competitive.”
Ronsini said she and then senior Shreya Patel were approached by their robotics coach, Cristi
LeBron, last year to consider starting an all-girls team.
“Shreya and I had been in robotics before, but it always felt like we were encouraged to do a lot
of the documentation. We really wanted to do more designing and coding,” said Ronsini. “I
encouraged all of my friends to sign up and then a lot more came on their own. We had 30 girls
attend the interest meeting.”
The upperclassmen on the team have made a concentrated effort to reach out to students in
younger grades so that the team will continue after they graduate.
“In high school, we’re always told to explore our interests, but I feel like a lot of girls limit
ourselves to what those interests can be,” said Ronsini. “Many of us are new to this, but we are
putting in the effort to try something new.”
For senior Maira Babar, being on an all-girls team has made it easier to be heard.
“Communication is easier. It’s easier to speak up and share your ideas,” said Babar.
Robotics also enables team members to contribute in a variety of ways. For example, teammate
Morgan Murray, another senior, used her artistic skills to create last year’s team t-shirt.
“On other teams, there are sometimes stereotypes,” said senior Talia Fox. “Girls are expected to
manage the documentation or take photos for social media. But on this team, everyone is equal. There is space for everyone.”
The Spyder Bytes would absolutely like to beat the all-male teams in competition, but the
ultimate goal for this year’s team, Ronsini says, is progress. Their first competition of the year is
slated for November 8 th . In addition to reaching out to eighth grade students during the off-
season, the team has also planned a Women in Stem Day to help build excitement.
The schoolwide afterschool event, planned for October 8 th , will include a panel of women within the Walker community who work in STEM-related fields. There will be a Women in STEM
trivia competition (with prizes) and a bake sale during the school day. The sale, which is being
coordinated with Walker’s Student Service Organization (SSO), will raise funds for underfunded
robotics programs through the Georgia Robotics Alliance.
“Robotics is a great way to find your voice and also a way to develop important skills,”
said Ronsini. “You develop social skills and creativity by working on a team – and you learn
about trial and error.”
“Robotics isn’t just about robots. You also learn a lot about time management, public speaking
and communication. As part of the competitions, you have to present to judging panels and
adults, which helps you begin developing those skills early on,” said Fox.
The Syder Bytes are seeking panelists for their upcoming Women in STEM event on Oct. 8. If you are a woman in a STEM-related field and interested in participating in the panel discussion, email Anna Ronsini (anna.ronsini@thewalkerschool.org) for more details. You can follow The Spyder Bytes on Instagram (spi.derbytestws).
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