These six local girls, five of them students at HF-L Middle School, recently became U.S. National Champions when they were the top United States team in their Problem Category at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, finishing behind only a team from Shanghai, China. Photo by Jessa Jones
The six girls on the team from Ipad Rehab Microsoldering in Honeoye Falls who recently became the U.S. National Champions in the Odyssey of the Mind Problem 1 Vehicle Design utilized a recently acquired skill to maximum effect in their journey to the World Finals in East Lansing, Michigan at the end of May.
Five of the girls were students at HF-L Middle School and the other was a student from Pittsford. The HF-L girls are Betsy Burdett and Maisie Burdett, both eighth-graders at HF-L Middle School at the time, and Willa Jones, Kate Lighthouse and Stella Schaefer, all seventh-graders at HF-L Middle School at the time of the competition. Maria Heatwole was an eighth-grader from Pittsford.
The girls were the top team from the United States in Division 2 of Problem 1 Vehicle Design for The OM-Mazing Race, garnering a score of 323.14 points out of a possible total of 350. Only a team from Shanghai, China beat the Ipad girls at the World Finals as the Shanghai team had 343.70 points. There were 38 teams from the United States in Division 2. The girls were first in the regional competition and were first in the New York State competition with a near-perfect score to earn their trip to Michigan and the World Finals.
“The team has made it to World Finals multiple times, placing eighth twice before,” said Jessa Jones, owner and founder of Ipad Rehab and the girls’ coach. “Betsy and Maisie were second-graders and Willa and Stella first-graders when the team first started. That first year, they were not eligible to compete in the competition but were exhibition only. The following year, Kate Lighthouse joined the team and Maria joined the team the year after Kate. In 2020, they were eligible to go to the states but COVID hit so it wound up being a virtual competition.”
For Problem 1, the girls had to design, build and operate an all-terrain vehicle that transports riders on a race for a prize. The performance had to include a race to three original, team-created destinations and each leg of the race included an obstacle that the rider and vehicle had to overcome. The performance also included a host who narrated the action and concluded with the realization that the prize for finishing the race was not as exciting as the Odyssey they took along the way.
A tight cost limit forced the team to look for and choose cheap materials to build the vehicle.
The girls went to Stacey Mrva who runs welding classes for girls and women at her business, Ironwood Studios in Springwater. They learned how to weld, making small reindeer. After the girls acquired that skill, Jones bought a welder.
“One of the girls found an old bike alongside a road and the team took it apart and welded it into the vehicle and created an axle from an old lawn mower,” Jones said. “They also built a backdrop and a helmet for the rider. They had a lot of fun learning to weld.”
Because traditionally boys would be the ones to build a vehicle, the girls took as their theme Girl Scouts and created Girl Scout sashes, complete with patches, and each patch represented memories from the team.
Jones is passionate about bringing the Odyssey of the Mind experience to the girls.
“When I was in fourth grade in 1984 at the beginning of the Odyssey of the Mind program, my fourth-grade team qualified for the World Finals and we took second place,” she said. “Odyssey of the Mind was very dear to me growing up and I want to help girls have the Odyssey of the Mind experience.”
