Aahan Swain

Kids to Know: Aahan Swain, 7th Grade, Walker Middle Magnet IB World School

By Last Updated

Never give up — it’s a valuable lesson seventh grader Aahan Swain says he learned as a member of Walker Middle Magnet School’s Robotics Club. While he and his fellow classmates have fun creating and competing, these skills are laying an important foundation for their future careers in STEM. For Swain, it’s a career in the medical field. He credits his teachers for inspiring him and showing him that hard work pays off, a lesson that will grow with him.

Tell us about your experience with STEM at Walker Middle School. What clubs or competitions you have been involved in, and what was it like to attend Invention Convention Nationals?

Aahan Swain: STEM at Walker has been a really big part of my middle school experience. I am in the Robotics Club at school, and my team is called Wolfbotics. We have competed in the First Lego League and made it all the way to the state championship this year. I have also taken coding as my elective at school, where I started learning Python.

Going to the Invention Convention Nationals at the Henry Ford Museum was an amazing experience. My team and I created a robot prototype called “The Happy Gobbler” to help clean up plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

I saw many creative inventions from kids from all over the country, and also enjoyed fun activities with my team. It was a great experience, and I made new friends.

What has been one of your proudest moments so far as a STEM student?

Aahan Swain: Going to the competitions and winning. It was good to see all our hard work pay off, and it made me feel confident. We did not win every time, and it was tough, but it helped us to do better the next time and to not give up.

This year, our district’s theme is “Leading the Way,” highlighting how our schools are preparing students for life. How do you feel your school and teachers are helping you grow academically, personally and in preparing for your future career?

Aahan Swain: The school and the teachers are making learning fun with all the projects, clubs and electives. Our teachers are not just teaching, but helping me learn how to think and solve real-world problems with science and technology.

Are there any specific teachers, mentors or experiences at school that have made a big impact on your journey so far?

Aahan Swain: My coding teacher, Ms. Melissa Voigt, made a big impact by making coding fun to learn. Ms. Strano and Mr. Nelson, my Robotics Club teachers, gave us all the support we needed to get ready for the competitions. Mr. Dan Peña, a scientist who mentored us and really taught us to think like an inventor.

You still have a few years before high school graduation, but right now, what careers or fields are you most interested in exploring?

Aahan Swain: I want to be a surgeon. Since I was very little, I thought surgeons were cool. They help people feel better and save lives.

As we enter a new school year, what’s your advice to other kids about achieving their goals? What helped you?

Aahan Swain: You can do anything if you work hard, stay focused and are disciplined. And it is ok to ask for help when you feel stuck.

What are your favorite things to do in Tampa Bay?

Aahan Swain: Recently, my favorite thing to do in Tampa Bay has been to go kayaking at Upper Tampa Bay Park.

READ MORE:

Originally published in the August 2025 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.