Introducing Iowa’s New State Judge Advisor: Kayla McIntyre

As the State Judge Advisor, Kayla is responsible for training judge advisors throughout the state, helping them train their local judges. She also answers any questions that advisors, judges, and teams have during the season.  

When asked what she is looking forward to as she begins this new position, she replied “I am excited to meet different people in the state. I’ve been involved in FIRST LEGO League in some capacity for a long time, but mostly in the Cedar Falls area. I’m looking to expand the impact that FLL can have. So far, I’ve really liked meeting all the judge advisors and potential judges.” 

Being able to share her knowledge of FLL was part of what encouraged Kayla to accept this new leadership position. “I was motivated by being able to train judge advisors and judges to really help the kids have a good experience at all the events. I want them to leave their judging sessions thinking that they had a good time, they learned something, and that they were really heard.”  

Kayla’s experiences at Iowa State and in her current role at John Deere have prepared her for the potential challenges and functions of the State Judge Advisor position. “Things are not just going to be handed to you, you have to seek out what you’re looking for, and Iowa State prepared me in that way,” she says.  

As a Senior Materials Specialist at John Deere, she is responsible for working with new parts that are produced for new tractors, as well as working with factory parts that are sent overseas. “It’s a challenge, and it’s something new every day, but that applies to most positions at John Deere. They keep you on your toes and keep you busy.” 

Kayla has been involved with FLL programs in some way since she was nine, participating on a FIRST LEGO League Challenge team for five years. She moved from her Challenge team to being a part of a FIRST Robotics Competition team, as well as volunteering. She was also involved in many events throughout the state by being on a FLL planning team while attending Iowa State.  

Kayla believes that the most important skills that kids gain from being a part of FLL are the speaking skills they build from speaking to judges and other teams. “When you see a student that started as a 4^th grader go all the way through the program, you can see the confidence that they gain,” she says. “They can learn for themselves, but then most of them teach other kids how to program and build. For kids to be able to teach what they’re learning, it’s just incredible. I’m very passionate about the program, just because I think it can do so much good.”

If teams or coaches have a question or need clarification from the Iowa FIRST LEGO League State Judge Advisor, they can email flljudgeadvisor@iastate.edu.