The Innovation Lab is the Place to Be at St. Stephen’s!

I joined almost by chance: I signed up for art classes late, and they were all full. The iLab had recently offered Robotics 1, and there was a spot available, so I joined. I’m now in my fourth semester here at St Stephen’s, and for all four semesters, I have taken Robotics and, generally, lived in the iLab.

I have participated in and won important competitions such as RoboMed, the Robotics Competition of the Mediterranean Countries, and Formula 1 in Schools World Championships. At the latter, we were the first team in Italy, and we were the only new team nominated for an award. My experience in the iLab has impacted me to the point that I now spend countless hours outside of school working on projects. At the moment, I am researching airflow and learning how to balance downforce and lift. I have also developed graphic design projects, have written for social media, and designed quality-of-life improvement initiatives for myself, and the whole school community.

Since February, I have been the co-student leader of the Innovation Lab, which has opened a more comprehensive array of possibilities and activities to work on and enjoy. I am also planning for future projects involving the robotics team, such as summer school activities for the local community, to ‘give back’ some of the knowledge and opportunities I have been given, as well as planning future competitions and expansions to the iLab itself.

I have earned certifications, such as being an Arduino certified programmer and designer, which I can use to help me with future endeavors at university, or even future job prospects.

I’m obviously not alone in the iLab, though, and the whole community around it is also something to take note of: we’re not a massive group by any means, but we are all passionate about the material. We all have our respective fields of interest and preferences. Our tight-knit community and team unite our diverse expertise so that we can collaborate on whatever we believe is an exciting project. We also broaden each other’s horizons by teaching each other skills that not everyone knows, such as programming languages and computer skills. Our collaborations allow us to further develop our abilities in drawing and even public speaking.

All in all, the iLab has been an absolutely fantastic experience from the day I stepped in, and I’m really looking forward to seeing where it will lead the whole community and me next.

Valerio Pepe is also a St. Stephen’s School Student Ambassador.