TECHALONGS
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The Techalongs (FIRST Tech Challenge Team 17062) are an all-girl robotics team founded by Girl Scouts in Scottsdale, Arizona, with a mission to empower girls to become confident problem-solvers, innovators, and leaders through hands-on STEM experiences. The team's roots, however, reach back several years through a partnership between FIRST robotics and the Girl Scout community.
Our Origins
Our Origins
The Techalongs are a "daughter" team of the Herberger Howlers (FTC Team 13968), sponsored by the Herberger Young Scholars Academy. In 2020, Howlers coach Jared Schein began introducing robotics to local Girl Scouts through outreach events, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced those efforts online. Partnering with Girl Scout Troop 2256, the Howlers created virtual robotics badge workshops that kept girls engaged in STEM and introduced them to the FIRST program.
The success of those workshops led to robotics day camps in the summer of 2021, where approximately 120 girls experienced engineering, coding, and robotics firsthand. Inspired by the enthusiasm generated through these programs, Jared Schein, Coach Melissa Drake of Girls in Tech Phoenix, and Coach Diana Laulainen-Schein partnered with Girl Scouts in Pima neighborhood to launch the Techalongs in 2022 with four founding members.
Named after the iconic Girl Scout Tagalong cookie, the Techalongs were created to provide a welcoming environment where girls could explore robotics, develop leadership skills, and discover their potential as engineers, innovators, and problem-solvers. From the beginning, the team has embraced the FIRST values of innovation, teamwork, gracious professionalism, and community impact.
Competitive Growth
Competitive Growth
In their inaugural 2022–2023 season, the Techalongs advanced to the Arizona State Championship, gaining valuable experience and establishing a strong foundation for future success.
The following season brought three new team members and a renewed determination to build on everything the team had learned. The Techalongs expanded both their technical capabilities and their outreach efforts, growing their impact throughout the Girl Scout and STEM communities.
The 2024–2025 season marked a breakthrough year. The team earned the Inspire Award at its first qualifier, followed by Connect and Innovate Awards at its next two qualifiers. At the Arizona State Championship, the Techalongs received the Inspire Award—the highest honor presented to an FTC team—recognizing excellence in robot design, innovation, outreach, and embodiment of the FIRST mission. The award qualified the team to represent Arizona at the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship in Houston.
Building on that success, the 2025–2026 season saw the Techalongs compete at the prestigious Western Edge Premier Event, where they showcased a robot featuring an innovative pendulum-based scoring mechanism. Their creative engineering approach, practical implementation, and comprehensive documentation earned the Innovate Award, recognizing the originality and effectiveness of their unique design.
Outreach and Community Impact
Outreach and Community Impact
Outreach has always been a cornerstone of the Techalongs' mission. The team believes that consistently introducing Girl Scouts to FIRST robotics creates opportunities for more girls to discover engineering and eventually become team members themselves.
The Techalongs host Girl Scout robotics badge workshops, participate in community STEM events, mentor younger students, and develop educational resources that help volunteers bring robotics programming to new audiences. Several team members have also created Girl Scout Gold Award projects focused on expanding access to robotics education and increasing opportunities for girls in STEM.
Looking Ahead
Looking Ahead
Although the Techalongs are a relatively young team, they have already established a tradition of technical innovation, community service, and competitive excellence. Through outreach, mentorship, and a passion for engineering, they continue to inspire girls to pursue STEM, create pathways into FIRST programs, and demonstrate that creativity, collaboration, and perseverance can turn ambitious ideas into award-winning solutions.
Meet the Team
Meet the Team
Eleanor
Eleanor
Team Captain
Eleanor (aka Python) is a member of troop 4202 and a founding member of the Techalongs. The team's primary coder, her favorite activities in Girl Scouts are selling cookies and going to camp. She attends BASIS Scottsdale. Eleanor enjoys making new friends in FIRST and the challenge of coding. Her favorite cookie is the Lemon-Up.
Maya
Maya
Maya (aka Pip) is a member of troop 2010 and a founding member of the Techalongs. Her favorite activity in Girl Scouts is selling cookies; her favorite cookie is the Samoa. She attends Scottsdale Prep Academy where she is a member of the tennis team. She spent three years on a First Lego League team and has worked as a mentor for a local team, as well as a builder.
Lila
Lila
Admin Team Captain
Lila (aka Harmony) is our third founding member and belongs to troop 2256. She attends Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center. Her favorite Girl Scout activity is leading Day Camp. Lila leads our outreach and administration efforts and is our wire management guru, but her favorite part of each season is competing. Her favorite Girl Scout cookies are Tagalongs.
Alice
Alice
Alice (aka Tinker) is a member of Troop 7076, and her favorite Girl Scout activity is camping. She attends Desert Mountain High School and runs track. She got her start in FIRST as a member on an FLL team. Alice is primarily a builder but also is our "chaos coordinator" during competitions. Her favorite Girl Scout cookies are Tagalongs.
August
August
Strategy & Stats Team Lead
August (aka Daredevil) attends Chaparral High School and is a member of Troop 2256. Their favorite Girl Scout activity is Day Camp. August put graphic design skills to good use as a member of our admin team and has recently become the team statistician and stragegy lead. Their favorite Girl Scout cookies are Adventurefuls.
Anna
Anna
Anna (aka Sunshine) is a member of Troop 2256. She attends Desert Canyon Middle School and is our Junior Coder. She is looking forward to coding in her third season, as well as robotics camp. Her favorite cookies are (retired) Girl Scout S'mores.
Jessica
Jessica
Jessica (aka Boo) is a member of Troop 7076. She attends Desert Mountain High School and has been an important member of our Outreach team designing and implementing STEM badge workshops. Making friends is her favorite part of Girl Scouts, particularly as a counselor at Day Camp. Her favorite Girl Scout cookies are the discontinued Savannah Smiles.
Sofia
Sofia
Sofia (aka Calypso) is a new member of Troop 2010 and the Techalongs; she attends Scottsdale Preparatory School and is a competitive rower. In her first year as a Techalong, she provided invaluable build, scouting, and team networking skills. Her favorite cookie is the Samoa.
Helena
Helena
Helena is a member of Troop 4645 and attends Pinnacle Peak Preparatory School. In her first year, one of her JV bot design ideas ultimately inspired out competition bot's final design. In her second year, she is part of our JV team. Her favorite part of Girl Scouts is the camping, and her favorite Girl Scout cookies are Samoas.
Jennifer
Jennifer
Jennifer (aka Koi) is a member of Troop 4400 and is a junior at Desert Mountain High school. She enjoys doing youth theater and as a Techalong, she is looking forward to learning presentation skills and spending some more time with her sister. Her favorite part of Girl Scouts is the community, and her favorite Girl Scout cookies are Toffee-tastics.
Natalie
Natalie
Natalie (aka Firefly) is a member of Troop 4361 and attends Cheyenne Traditional School. Her favorite part of Girl Scouts is selling cookies and going to encampment with her friends. Her favorite Girl Scout cookies are Samoas.
Aoife
Aoife
Aoife (aka Link ) is a member of Troop 4361 and attends Cheyenne Traditional School.
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