What began as a brand-new robotics program became an extraordinary first season—one that carried the Thompson Scholars LEGO Lions from Clay County, Kentucky, all the way to the national stage.

During the 2025–2026 season, LEGO Lions team members learned to design, build, program, and continually refine an autonomous robot. They mastered complex coding loops, sensor integration, and autonomous navigation, using logic and computational thinking to write the precise code needed to complete challenges on the competition field.

FIRST LEGO League teams are evaluated according to six Core Values: Discovery, Innovation, Impact, Inclusion, Teamwork, and Fun. Through long practices, technical setbacks, competition-day pressure, and constant problem-solving, the LEGO Lions learned to listen to one another, test new ideas, recover from disappointment, and keep working until they found a solution. Those lessons quickly translated into remarkable results. At the Appalachian Regional Qualifier in Hazard, the LEGO Lions placed fourth overall and second in the Robot Game. They also received the Regional Core Values Award and the Brandon Robinson Persistence Award—recognition that reflected not only what the students accomplished, but how they worked together to accomplish it.

The team then advanced to the Kentucky State Championship in Highland Heights. Competing against experienced teams from across the Commonwealth, the first-year LEGO Lions placed fifth overall and seventh in the State Robot Games. They were also selected to receive the Kentucky Rising Star Award.

Their performance earned them an invitation to the American Robotics Invitational at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. Only 3% of FIRST LEGO League teams advanced to a national competition during the 2025–2026 season. The LEGO Lions finished 25th in the Robot Games among 68 outstanding teams—an extraordinary achievement for students completing their very first season.

Reaching the national stage required more than technical ability. It took grit, confidence, teamwork, and the willingness to keep learning. It also took a community that believed in these young people.

Parents, students, staff members, local businesses, and community supporters came together to help cover the team’s competition and travel expenses. Their generosity gave Clay County students the opportunity not only to compete, but also to travel, meet young engineers from other communities, and see that their talents belong in spaces far beyond their hometown.

Team members later shared their experiences and demonstrated what they had learned with Superintendent William Sexton and Clay County Public School Board Members at a Board of Education meeting. The meeting gave the students another important opportunity: the chance to speak confidently about their work and to be celebrated as innovators and leaders within their own community.

The LEGO Lions’ first season was about much more than trophies, rankings, or a robot moving across a competition table. It was about young people discovering that they can master difficult skills, contribute meaningfully to a team, and compete successfully at the highest levels. In one unforgettable season, the LEGO Lions built a robot—and they built confidence, resilience, friendships, and a larger vision for what their futures can hold.

For Thompson Scholars, their journey demonstrates what becomes possible when talented rural students are given access to challenging opportunities, dedicated mentors, and a community willing to invest in their potential. The LEGO Lions did not simply arrive on the robotics stage. They roared.