From Robotics Competitions to Autonomous Tractors: Sarah Heimlich’s Journey
When Sarah Heimlich was 15 years old and living in New Hampshire, her parents asked if she would be willing to move across the world to Sydney, Australia. She agreed — with one condition.
“I said yes, but only if I could join a local FIRST robotics team,” Sarah said.
Her parents assumed that wouldn’t be a problem. But once in Australia, they discovered the closest FIRST Robotics Competition team was in Hawaii. Instead of walking back their promise, Sarah’s family helped start the very first FIRST Robotics Competition team in Australia.
“That decision changed everything,” Sarah said.
Growing FIRST — and growing herself
Over the next decade, Sarah helped grow FIRST in Australia from 20 teams to more than 2,000 across every state. The experience shaped both her career path and her approach to leadership.
“That process really turned me into who I am today,” she said.
Through FIRST, Sarah gained opportunities she never imagined — performing on the stage of the Sydney Opera House, walking on the Great Wall of China, and connecting with students across continents. While she built strong technical skills — earning a bachelor’s degree in software engineering with first class honors and a master’s degree in computing research — the most lasting lessons went beyond engineering.
“The bigger skills FIRST gave me are teamwork, communication, and perseverance,” Sarah said. “I use those skills every single day.”
Today, she applies those lessons as a senior product manager at John Deere and Blue River Technology focused on large ag autonomy, helping translate complex technology into solutions farmers can trust.
Paying it forward as a mentor
Sarah started mentoring FIRST at 17 years old, working with her younger sister’s FIRST LEGO League team — and she’s never stopped.
She began mentoring FIRST Robotics Competition her freshman year of college and has since worked with five teams across Australia and the United States, mentoring hundreds of students.
“High school years are so formative,” Sarah said. “There is truly no greater honor than watching students grow from timid freshmen into confident graduating seniors.”
A moment she’ll never forget
The defining moment of Sarah’s FIRST journey came in 2017, when her team won the FIRST Impact Award — the program’s highest honor — at the World Championship. The win earned them a place in the FIRST Hall of Fame, making them the first team outside North America to receive the award.
The honor recognized years of work bringing “STEM to Everyone Everywhere,” from small outback towns to major cities around the world.
When the award was announced, Sarah stood on the field with her teammates as fireworks filled the stadium. “Hugging and crying together on the largest stage in the competition while fireworks went off overhead — that moment will stay with me forever,” she said.
John Deere + FIRST Robotics
- John Deere has been a FIRST Strategic partner since 2017.
- Supporting over FIRST teams in 10 countries and 40+ John Deere home communities.
- 2026-2028, $2.7M commitment to FIRST
- John Deere employees recorded nearly 23K volunteer hours in 2025 which is #1 at John Deere for employee engagement.