THE FUTURE IS NOW: Lovelace Women’s Hospital robot-naming contest leads to visit, career advice for Bel-Air first-graders

 

From left, Dr. Michael Blea, first-grade student Mae Mitchell and Dr. Mario Leyba, are seen during Bel-Air Elementary School’s chance to name the new robot at Lovelace Women’s Hospital. (Courtesy of Albuquerque Public Schools)

 

On May 15, Lovelace Women’s Hospital invited the students of Bel-Air Elementary school to name its new daVinci5 surgical robot.

The winner is … Walle.

The winning name came from Bel-Air Elementary School first-grade teacher Heather Hunt’s class.

General surgeons Mario Leyba and Michael Blea talked to students about their jobs and gave them pizza and T-shirts adorned with “We named the robot!” to mark the occasion. The name — which was submitted by first-grade student Mae Mitchell — was inspired by the 2008 Disney animated film about a robot on an uninhabitable Earth in the distant future.

Blea, who attended Corrales Elementary School, said Tuesday’s visit to Bel-Air was special to him. A similar visit from a University of New Mexico surgeon to his middle school inspired Blea to begin thinking about a career in medicine. “This is kind of full circle,” he said.

The Chamber’s Albuquerque Reads has tutors at Bel-Air Elementary each school year, as well as at Atrisco and Whittier elementaries. We congratulate the students on a great name.

Lovelace Women’s Hospital has been a Chamber member since 2007.

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