Introducing Iowa’s New Head Referee: Engineer Rose Berber-Solis

Berber-Solis is definitely having fun as she’s stepping into her new role, with attending the Quad Cities Kickoff in Davenport being a highlight so far. “Seeing the kids have so much fun at events is the most exciting part of it all. It’s so recharging to see the energy and excitement that these kids have for coding,” she says.  

This enthusiasm for STEM is one of the reasons why she accepted this position. As a first-generation college student, it also was important to Berber-Solis to provide kids with the opportunity to see a woman of color in a leadership position. “I think it’s really important to get kids of different backgrounds and cultures involved because it is great to learn from other people. Diversity and being inclusive is so powerful, and I see how much value it brings in.” 

As head referee, Berber-Solis is responsible for establishing clarifications that are needed throughout the season, along with answering the questions of coaches, judges, and other referees. Because of the rotating themes and missions each year, the scoring for matches changes, making it necessary for her to make the final calls.  

“If someone feels like a match wasn’t scored fairly or thinks something should be scored in a different way moving forward, they can reach out to me and I can have that conversation with them,” she says.  

These responsibilities require her to be an excellent communicator and collaborator. When asked about qualities she thinks are necessary to be a successful Head Referee, she replied, “It takes gracious professionalism, having fun at events with the kids, and always treating people with respect. Sometimes people can get upset, which is okay, but it’s important that it’s always respectful and that a good example is set for the kids.” 

The community of FIRST LEGO League is really what spoke to Berber-Solis, greatly contributing to her desire to give back to her community by acting as Head Referee. “These kids are provided with skills that are really valuable–gracious professionalism being one of them–which will be needed in any future job. Kids are learning how to work with each other and collaborate as a team during their innovation project, robot design, and during the games,” she says.  

If teams or coaches have a question or need a clarification from the Iowa FIRST LEGO League Head Referee, they can email fllheadref@iastate.edu.