The Macomb Automation Robotics Zone (MARZ) VIP event was hosted on March 28, 2025, at Macomb Community College’s South Campus in the Sports & Expo Center. My 9-year-old son, Jordan, was on Spring Break that week, so he was able to come with me and see all the action.
We arrived at the event and checked in. We were among some of the county and state’s most distinguished guests including Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, Macomb Intermediate School District Superintendent Mike DeVault, Former Governor of Michigan Rick Snyder, Macomb Community College President Jim Sawyer and many others.
All of us attending the behind-the-scenes event were divided into smaller groups, each run by a robotics student.
Our student was from the Byting Bulldogs from Romeo. He first took us on a tour through the pits where we saw students from every school working on their robots. Each team had their own section – some even had a theme and were decorated in lights. Jordan’s favorite was decorated in flannel and had a log cabin backdrop.
We walked around and were able to ask our robotics student questions throughout the tour. Jordan loved seeing one of the teams with a team mascot – the Fighting Pi and he asked to take a picture with them. Our student then took us over to the field where the robots were competing.
It was awesome to see how involved the families of the students participating were. They all sat in different sections of the stands with huge team banners at the top to show their team spirit.
Robotics teams in action
We took our seats in the stands to get a glimpse at the robotics action and saw the robots picking up and moving items in the field. There was also a huge screen in the middle of the field to show the action more up-close. After this, we heard more about what MARZ is doing in the community and how businesses can help them make more of an impact on these robotics students’ lives.
We heard from Vicky Rowinski – MARZ Vice President/Board Member and Director of the Macomb County Planning and Economic Development.
“As we continue to build capacity for introducing K-12 students to careers in advanced manufacturing and robotics, we welcome your involvement,” says Rowinski. “Whether you’d like to share your industry expertise, donate needed resources, or make a financial contribution, your support is greatly needed and appreciated.”
To learn more or to get involved in MARZ, please contact Maria Zardis at [email protected]. Be sure to follow MARZ on Facebook and LinkedIn for ongoing updates.
For more information on living and learning in Macomb County, visit Make Macomb Your Home. Find more articles like this at Metro Parent’s A Family Guide to Macomb County.
