About Pit Admin | VEX Robotics World Championship
If you have any questions about the event, where to be, what is going on, or how to get somewhere, Pit Admin is the place to get help!
For McKenzie Koch, robotics has never just been about the competitions. It’s about growth, both on and off the competition field, by building skills, communities, and confidence. Now, as a soon-to-be college graduate and dedicated volunteer, she’s using her experience to inspire the next wave of young innovators in Kentucky and beyond.
In high school, McKenzie’s passion for robotics helped her team win the 2022 VEX Robotics World Championship. A major accomplishment that proved transformative and sparked her commitment to giving back to the robotics community.
After years of competing and mentoring teammates, McKenzie took her commitment to robotics to new heights in January 2024 by interning with the National Robotics Academy Inc. in Nebraska. The nonprofit organization hosts five VEX Robotics teams and she enthusiastically coached them. “I was able to work directly with students and see how they were innovating and growing,” McKenzie said. “Being able to offer guidance based on my own experiences was really amazing. It felt like a full circle moment.”
Unlike her prior experience volunteering at events where she would watch teams from a distance, her internship allowed her to shape student journeys firsthand. From planning strategy sessions to coaching presentation skills, McKenzie became more than a mentor, she became a role model. She believes RECF’s robotics program goes beyond just the mechanics and coding. It’s the soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership that McKenzie sees as the lasting impact of robotics.
“Volunteering has given me a sense of community,” she said. “Most of my closest friends now are people I met through robotics events.” She recalls the impact of seeing Zea, a female head referee from Tennessee, and how it shifted her own perspective. “In high school, few women were in roles like referees. Seeing Zea made me realize this is what a woman can do in this space,” she said. “I want to be that person for other girls.” As a former member of a Girl Powered team, an initiative by the RECF to encourage more girls in STEM, McKenzie has seen firsthand how important visibility and encouragement are. “My high school team was a team of four, with two girls. Programs like Girl Powered are helping reshape the robotics world,” she said.
Even as she prepares for college graduation, McKenzie is already thinking about continuing to give back. She hopes to work for a company that values volunteering and will support her passion through initiatives like donation matching and paid volunteer time.
For those unsure of how to get involved after high school, McKenzie offers simple advice: reach out. “Email your local event partners and say you’re a former competitor and want to help. Every time I’ve done that, the response has been immediate. Events always need more volunteers.”
With her heart rooted in robotics mentorship and as she plans her professional journey, McKenzie embodies what the robotics community is all about, being a positive example to others.
