Boeing Company
PBHS alum sponsors Robotics Club for third consecutive year
An alumnus has donated a total of $6,500 to the Poplar Bluff High School Robotics Club over the past three years, having more than doubled his portion of the contribution with matching funds through his employer, Boeing.
Bill Burton of the Class of 1978 presented $2,000 to the Iron Mules last month, with half of the amount underwritten by the aerospace company. Burton has been submitting an annual request via YourCause since becoming aware of the Iron Mules in 2023. Boeing generously increased their match by an additional $500 last year.
“I am interested in making sure that we maintain a focus on STEM, so when I learned that PBHS has a team, I went to the Boeing gift matching site and found the high school,” Burton said.
He explained how he learned about the Robotics Club by happenstance when he encountered an individual in Williamsville with a connection to the team donning an Iron Mules T-shirt. Boeing is a strategic partner of the FIRST Tech Challenge, under which the Iron Mules have competed for over a decade. FIRST stands for: For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.
As an incoming senior at PBHS, Burton recalls participating in a one-week summer course at what is now the Missouri University of Science & Technology, where he learned the “very basics” of Fortran programming language. His path was solidified when instructor Dr. David Fisher took the Math Club on a campus tour during his senior year.
“That pretty much sealed my desire to be a comp sci major there,” Burton stated. Graduating from the University of Iowa, the Poplar Bluff native began his career at the McDonnell Douglas Corporation in the greater St. Louis area in 1985 until its merger with Boeing 12 years later. “I just passed my 40th service anniversary and still work in information technology,” Burton noted.
The funds will cover registration fees and robot kit parts as the Iron Mules prepare for their 12th season of the FIRST Tech Challenge, set to begin next month, according to sponsor Chris Wheat. The team began competing in 2014, winning several awards over the years, ranking as high as second place in the Southeast League.
###
Cutline: Robotics Coach Chris Wheat displays a matching donation from alum Bill Burton and his company Boeing on Friday, Sept. 5, with Iron Mules members Gage Sikes (left) and Cody Grobe.