North Shore News“When they think about Waialua, they don’t think about surfing,” says Glenn Lee, head coach of the Waialua Robotics Team, referring to the international reputation his team has earned in the Robotics community. Coveted blue championship flags from tournaments all over the world line the ceilings of the Waialua Robotics workshops. In 2011, Waialua High won the “World Title” competition in Montreal, Canada. For this feat and many other reasons, Glenn Lee has been selected as the 2018 North Shore Kama‘aina of the Year.
Glenn was born and raised in Wahiawa, a graduate of Leilehua High School. After attending Leeward Community College for one year, he received his degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Hawaii-Manoa. He later earned his Master’s Degree in Business Administration (“MBA”) from the University of Hawaii, where he also obtained his certification in Secondary Education. While studying for his MBA, Glenn began teaching Math and Science at Waialua High School, all the while thinking that he would quit once he completed his advanced degree.
However, a surprise visit in 1999 from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, “NASA” and FIRST Robotics organization, ultimately changed his plans; this change would catapult Waialua High School on the path to world recognition in the Robotics educational field. NASA officials and a school from California came to Waialua High showcasing a robot, in the hopes that the school would start a Robotics team. At the time, NASA approached only Waialua and McKinley High schools with grant money to start Robotics programs, because both schools had successful teams building electric cars.
In their first year, Waialua competed in the one and only Robotics tournament on the West Coast, in
San Jose, where they were finalists. “After we attended our first competition in 2000, we were hooked,”
says Glenn. The following year, in 2001, they won the tournament. Today there are over 200 Robotics
competitions in the world in over 27 countries.
Glenn and his team travel to 6 tournaments in the U.S and internationally every year, such as ones in Canada and China, and meet at over 20 tournaments state-wide. The cost of transporting 40-50 students is high; and Glenn tirelessly writes grants and letters on behalf of the team. Glenn remembers that in the early days of competing, “there were times we thought we were going to fold because we were dependent on the school.” Now he runs the team “like a business,” and says that he limits his reliance on the things he can’t control, namely state funding for education. “If only schools could fund programs that would actually help students get jobs,” says Glenn.
Glenn’s funding efforts have benefited other extracurricular educational programs as well. He has
purchased sports equipment/clothing, band instruments for Waialua High and Middle Schools; and
recently raised the money to buy a mini-school bus
to transport school teams on the island. Most recently, Glenn obtained full-funding for up to 5 years
from 21st Century Community Learning Center grant, which pays for after school programs in four schools: Waialua Elementary, Haleiwa Elementary, St. Michael School, and Waialua High & Intermediate School. Partnering with After-School All Stars Hawaii, Glenn was finally able to get summer school for free for all these schools!
2018 marks Glenn’s 25th year working at Waialua High and the 20th year of the Waialua Robotics
Team. It’s a fitting time to recognize Glenn Lee as the North Shore 2018 Kama‘aina of the Year, with
a celebration at the Chamber’s Annual Christmas party at Waimea Valley on Wednesday, December 12th, 6 p.m.
For more information about the event, contact the Chamber at 808-637-4558.