Finding Solutions: Local tech company awards scholarships to students for coding, robotics classes

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Three students won scholarships to iCode Augusta, where they will learn robotics, coding, drone piloting, 3D printing and game development.

Willy Crothers had never been to iCode Augusta before winning his scholarship.

“I was like robotics, I like AI, and I like coding so I thought it would be fun to come here,” Crothers said.

The students had to write essays about how they would use technology. Crothers wrote about creating a 3D-printed plaque for homes to alert firefighters about pets inside during emergencies.

“I wrote about how you can write a 3D-printed plaque so if there was a fire you can have a plaque that shows you have certain animals. So they have cat, dog, fish, so the firemen know to save the animals and not just the people,” he said.

Tech company eyes future workforce

Premier Networx partnered with iCode to create the scholarships. Spencer Kemmeling, CEO of Premier Networx, said he hopes to hire the students after they complete college programs.

“My hope that I told iCode when we came up with this partnership is for these individuals to be someone I look to hire when they come out of their college programs if this is something they really enjoy and have a passion for,” Kemmeling said.

Isabella Fowler won a scholarship with an essay proposing a solution for people who cannot speak.

“For people who can’t talk there can be a watch as a bot and whatever the person is trying to say the bot can read its mind and say it out loud and they can talk,” Fowler said.

Dean Reineking’s parents serve in the military. He wrote about using technology to help people find their place in a new community.

“They’re kind of like remote-controlled cars except you learn how they work and actually put them together,” Reineking said about the robots.

Premier Networx will give six more students scholarships to attend iCode’s summer camp.