Emmanuel Linares Contreras, an alumnus of the 2025 Aspire Leaders Program and Campus Leader, has always believed that the young people of Michoacán have what it takes to compete on a global stage. This year, he proved it. As the leader of ITMOR1, a university robotics team based at the Instituto Tecnológico de Morelia, Emmanuel guided his team to a historic achievement: becoming the first Mexican team ever to win the global Robotics Education and Competition Foundation (RECF) Community Challenge.
A Mission Born from a Local Challenge
Morelia, the capital city of Michoacán in Central Mexico, is known for its culture, food, and tourism. But beneath that reputation lies a challenge: talent flight. Many youth with real potential end up leaving because they feel there is no place for them to grow at home.
“In our community, in our state, and generally in our country, we have a lot of professionals graduating from universities, but we don’t have the opportunities – or the right opportunities – that we expect to have,” Emmanuel explained. “With that lack of opportunities, a lot of young people tend to immigrate to another country in search of better ones.”
This reality became the foundation of ITMOR1’s mission: to share scientific and technological knowledge with the local community, close the educational gap, and contribute to economic growth using modern, accessible technology. For Emmanuel and his team, robotics and RPAS – drones – are not just technical tools. They are a means of creating opportunities locally, enabling talented individuals thrive within their own communities.
Emmanuel credits the Aspire Leaders Program with helping him see that work in a new light.
“When I was doing these activities with my team, I didn’t know that I was making such an impact on my community,” he shared. “Aspire was mind-changing for me – it completely shifted my perspective, making me realize that I have the power and capacity to actively change my social environment.”
He further strengthened the foundational skills he had built by participating in the first cohort of Aspire’s Leadership Accelerator, Powered by AI (LAPA).
“I felt a deep connection with the mentors, who shared invaluable life-long lessons that will stay with me forever,” he said. “I feel immensely fortunate to be considered for these opportunities and deeply value the work Aspire does for young people like me.”
Turning an Idea into Impact
ITMOR1 transformed their mission into action, delivering RPAS training to first responders. Through a partnership with the Michoacán State Civil Protection Coordination and the Search and Rescue division of SOCIDRON A.C., ITMOR1 trained firefighters, civil protection units, and search and rescue teams to use drones in real emergency response situations, turning the team’s technical knowledge into a tool that directly protects lives.
They also ran a four-week summer course for vulnerable children and teenagers at the SPOT Morelia center. In total, the team trained more than 122 individuals in skills ranging from aerial filming and multispectral scanning to drone emergencies.
“Knowing that our technology serves as a real-world tool to protect our community is our greatest reward,” Emmanuel said.
Making History on the Global Stage
ITMOR1 reached new heights in 2025, achieving success on both national and international stages.
In May, they made history as the first university-level team from Michoacán to reach the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas. The team then went on to compete in an international robotics tournament in Playa del Carmen later that year in October.
Outside of competing, Emmanuel continued mentoring youth from the SPOT Morelia center. His leadership helped guide them to victory at the International Robotics Competition & STEM 2025 Signature Event in Playa del Carmen, where they received the Judges Award and the Communications Mission Award.
He also worked with ITMOR1 to organize DroneMex 2025, a massive congress with over 1,500 attendees where individuals could learn more about the drone industry and its applications.
The team carried this momentum into 2026 at the Girl Powered Mexico championship, where they won both the Design Award and the Build Award – victories that qualified them for the 2026 VEX Robotics World Championship in St. Louis, Missouri.
It was there, on the global stage, that they proudly raised Mexico’s name by winning the historic RECF Community Challenge with their project: “The Sky is Ours Too.”
In this virtual competition, teams must document and share how their project has created a positive, tangible, and measurable social impact in their community through STEM education. When the results were announced, it marked the first time the recognition had ever been awarded to a team from Mexico.
“As the leader of the ITMOR1 team, I am incredibly proud of our historic milestone: becoming the very first Mexican team to win the global RECF Community Challenge,” Emmanuel said. “We never came looking for recognition. The truth is, we did it because we wanted to support our community and address the problems we are facing. And then suddenly, this opportunity came to show the project – and here we are.”
Emmanuel credits key state leaders and partners for making this achievement possible. He highlights the crucial support of the Michoacán State Government, specifically thanking Mariana Sosa Olmeda, Director of the Institute of Upper Secondary and Higher Education (IEMSySEM), and Alejandra Ochoa Zarzosa, Director of the Institute of Science, Technology, and Innovation (ICTI), alongside the State Civil Protection Coordination.
He also extends his deepest gratitude to Aspire for providing him with unwavering support, world-class leadership training tools, and the life-changing opportunity to participate in both the ALP and the AI-Integrated Leadership Program.
Lastly, he acknowledges the collaboration of SOCIDRON A.C. and the Instituto Tecnológico de Morelia as part of the network that believed in the team’s vision.
Looking Ahead
ITMOR1’s goals now extend beyond Michoacán. The team plans to scale its model nationwide, expanding workshops and training programs into other Mexican states and growing its large-scale STEM events and competitions. ITMOR1 is also working to formalize stronger alliances with both the state and federal governments to bring drone and robotics technology into official security, civil protection, and education programs, and remains committed to supporting spaces like the SPOT center so the next generation of talent in Michoacán has what it needs to succeed without having to leave home to find it.
For Emmanuel, the hope is that this recognition helps keep the momentum going – and that the work does not stop with his generation. His journey showcases what is possible when technical skill is paired with a deep sense of community responsibility, and how a single team’s effort can ripple outward into real education, real opportunity, and real impact for a nation.
