Sat | Feb 28, 2026

GoodHeart | ‘Small Fry’ is a big deal for St Mary Technical

School impresses in national robotics competition

Published:Saturday | February 28, 2026 | 12:06 AM
From left: Romario Lindo, captain of St Mary’s Technical High School; Andrew Pearman, director, NCB Foundation; and coaches Tashiba Julius and Gavin O’Meally test the team’s robot, ‘Small Fry’, under the guidance of Ackeem Gordon, sixth form stud
Contributed
From left: Romario Lindo, captain of St Mary’s Technical High School; Andrew Pearman, director, NCB Foundation; and coaches Tashiba Julius and Gavin O’Meally test the team’s robot, ‘Small Fry’, under the guidance of Ackeem Gordon, sixth form student, at the recent FIRST Tech Challenge launch.

In only its second year in the FIRST Tech Challenge Jamaica, St Mary’s Technical High School has quickly established itself as a promising contender with its robot, ‘Small Fry’. For a school long known for its technical and vocational focus, entering a national robotics competition was new ground for its students. This season, the team returned with stronger fundamentals, a sharper strategy, and increased confidence in the robotics arena.

The name Small Fry started as an inside joke. During their debut season, the team didn’t realise robots were usually given names. Their robot happened to be one of the smallest on the field. Rather than discarding the nickname, they embraced it as a symbol of growth, reflecting both their modest beginnings and expanding ambition.

Constructed entirely from the standard kits provided through funding from NCB Foundation, Small Fry’s design is a lesson in disciplined engineering and resourceful design. The team worked within the prescribed components, focusing on mechanical precision, iterative testing and strategic refinement rather than specialised enhancements.

“We worked with the resources we had available to us,” said team captain Romario Lindo. “The constraints strengthened our approach. We had to get creative and understand how to get the best out of each piece. It pushed us to plan carefully and to solve problems together. We have improved a lot since our first year.”

MEANINGFUL GROWTH

That growth has not gone unnoticed. Gavin Samuels, affiliate partner representative at FIRST Tech Challenge Jamaica, noted that meaningful growth is often most evident in returning teams.

“For schools that are new to robotics, the second year is critical. You see greater confidence, better application of engineering concepts and stronger teamwork. St Mary Technical has made that shift and I’m proud to see that growth in our students each year,” he said.

NCB Foundation’s sustained investment has helped make that shift possible. Since 2019, the foundation has committed $48.5 million to robotics initiatives across Jamaica, reaching 2,750 students. The support includes equipment, teacher training, mentorship and structured competition opportunities, ensuring that schools outside the traditional STEM strongholds can participate meaningfully on the local and international stages of the competition.

Perrin Gayle, CEO of the NCB Foundation, emphasised the broader significance of widening participation. “Access matters,” he stated, “When we support programmes like the FIRST Tech Challenge, we are equipping students with practical problem-solving skills, technical competence and exposure to fields shaping Jamaica’s future workforce. Talent exists everywhere. Opportunity must, as well.”

While Small Fry might not have been the largest robot on the field, it represented something larger: a school expanding its horizons, students strengthening their capabilities and a growing culture of innovation taking root in St Mary.

goodheart@gleanerjm.com