When a group of Snoqualmie Valley girls sit down to work on robotics, they are not just building and programming. They are learning how to speak up, solve problems together, and take on challenges that feel big for middle and elementary students.
For many families, that growth is tied to longtime local mentors Jessica and Ron Brown, who have spent years quietly coaching teams through FIRST LEGO League and helping students see STEM as a field they can belong in.
This season, four all-girls teams coached by Jessica advanced through regional competitions to compete at the Western Washington FIRST LEGO League State Finals held on February 1st at Amazon’s Seattle campus.
The teams, Tinkering Turtles, Gizmo Girlz, Tech Queens, and C.I.R.C.U.I.T Breakerz, include students from several Snoqualmie Valley schools and grade levels who train outside school hours and prepare both robot missions and judged presentations.
Ms. Jessica is a Snoqualmie resident, a retired computer science teacher, and a former Boeing engineer. Her husband Ron, also a retired Boeing engineer, works alongside her, helping teams test robot runs, troubleshoot problems, and prepare for competitions.
Families say the Browns regularly open their home for students to practice, refine projects, and build confidence ahead of events, outside regular school hours, when teams need extra time to prepare.
One family’s introduction to the program began with a community post. Sirisha and Ram Mudunuri noticed a request Ms. Jessica shared on the Snoqualmie Ridge Facebook page in April 2023 while she was gathering items to take to California for her team, Awesome Blossoms, which was headed to an international competition.
That exchange led their daughters to join Ms. Jessica’s younger team, Tinkering Turtles, in August 2023. What began as a cautious first step quickly became a passion, with teams advancing repeatedly and eventually competing on an international stage.
“Watching our daughters compete on such a global stage was an incredibly unforgettable moment for the Tinkering Turtles and their families,” they said, recalling the team’s invitation to the WPI Annual FIRST LEGO League Event in Boston, where nearly 100 teams from around the world gathered, representing more than 40 U.S. states and 30 countries.
FIRST LEGO League was created to make engineering and technology as engaging for kids as traditional sports, challenging teams to design, build, and program LEGO-based robots to complete mission challenges while also developing innovation projects that solve real-world problems. Families say that combination is where students begin to find their voice. Sirisha and Ram said their daughters were shy during early judging sessions but now deliver presentations “with clarity and confidence,” and they have begun mentoring younger teams by helping them prepare for judge questions and build stronger responses.
Parents also describe the program as a social anchor, not just a competition. Students spend long hours together during busy weeks, learning to divide responsibilities, share ownership of the work, and adapt when setbacks occur. Families say teams include students from different backgrounds who learn about one another’s cultures and values while working together, and that the work pushes them to collaborate, listen, and move forward after disagreements rather than getting stuck.
Each competition season connects students to the broader world beyond robotics. This year’s theme, Unearthed, encouraged teams to explore archaeology and ancient civilizations, leading students to visit the Burke Museum and interview archaeologists about challenges in uncovering and preserving artifacts. Last season’s theme, Submerged, focused on ocean exploration, and the teams connected with a Mount Si High School teacher who teaches underwater welding, which helped students understand how technical skills are used in real-world underwater work.
Ms. Jessica keeps her practices engaging by blending structure with hands-on creativity, using tools such as 3D printing, carpentry, and Cricut projects to help students prototype and present ideas. She began by coaching all-girls teams, and parents say her impact has since spread as she mentors other community teams in Sammamish and throughout the Valley, helping new programs get started and strengthening the local robotics community.
Teams also bring robotics into the community, participating in events and local technology fairs where students demonstrate their robots and encourage younger children to explore STEM activities, helping grow interest in robotics across the Valley.
At FIRST Western Washington State Finals – Tinkering Turtles advanced to the next level, where they can choose to participate in FLL Open International events in locations such as California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Canada, Greece, Korea.
Gizmo Girls earned the Top Robot Score, and the Breakthrough Award and Tech Queens won the Innovation Project Award.
Snoqualmie teams truly swept the awards at the FIRST Western Washington State Finals (advancing from 400 teams that participated this season from WA), culminating in a roaring standing ovation for their beloved coach, Ms. Jessica Brown, who won the Best Coach Award at the State Finals
Ms. Jessica’s commitment was recognized at the recent Western Washington State Finals when she was named Best Coach, prompting cheers as students rushed to celebrate the mentor who has guided them for years. Sirisha and Ram said the moment reflected “the trust, love, and gratitude the kids feel for her,” describing both Jessica and Ron Brown as steady influences who help students grow into confident, capable teammates while keeping the experience grounded in patience, inclusion, and fun. Her team agrees, saying, “She inspires us with her attention to detail, hard-working nature, patience, and humility,” and that she “isn’t just a coach for FLL, but an inspiration & mentor.”
The program’s growth shows how community mentorship and volunteer leadership can open doors for young people, inspiring more students across the Snoqualmie Valley to see robotics and STEM opportunities as something available close to home.
