With a mission to lead and be fully involved, they approached their teacher, Patricia Cortez, with a bold idea to start an all-girls team.
That moment sparked the creation of the Ladybots, an all-girls robotics team at School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove, born from Dallas ISD’s commitment to expanding STEM opportunities, which grew into a powerful force for inclusion and leadership.
As Emma and Wendy began middle school at STAG in PG, Cortez followed soon after, creating the perfect opportunity to continue what they started.
“At first, I was sad Ms. Cortez was leaving, but when she told us she was coming with us, I was super excited to start a new team,” Emma said.
The Ladybots evolved into a mission-driven program that provides young women with a space to lead, innovate, and envision themselves in STEM fields.
“We learned about the lack of female representation in STEM,” Cortez said. “That became our mission with the Ladybots: to expose girls to STEM through robotics programs.”
The Ladybots recently hosted Girls & Gears: A GirlPoweredRobotics Workshop, welcoming over 80 girls from across the district. Participants tackled coding, drone programming, engineering challenges, and binary code bracelets.
Together, the LadyBots have spent six years improving their skills, confidence, and opportunities for young women in science and engineering.
Even in a competitive setting, the Ladybots challenge stereotypes.
The girls competed in the advanced VEX V5 category, often against high school teams, and have qualified for the world championship every year.
“The most challenging thing we’ve gone through is when we go to competitions and teams that don’t know us, judge us by a cover,” Emma said. “They look at us and think, ‘Oh, it’s just a group of girls. They’re just gonna lose,’ but we show them that the sky is the limit.”
Looking forward, the Ladybots hope to continue building a legacy of innovation and excellence.
“When they start, many don’t believe they can build or code, and then they surprise themselves,” Cortez said. “That’s what I hope they take with them, knowing they are capable of anything they choose.”
