Robotics is an engaging extracurricular which allows for students interested in S.T.E.M fields to gain experience in mentoring, knowledge, and skills that will allow them to get ahead in their future endeavors. It gives students a chance to use their creativity with critical thinking to create a working robot. Robotics allows students not only to build robots, but to build valuable friendships with like-minded peers with similar goals. By joining Robotics, students can open the door to new interests that can assist them in finding a new passion.
The Robotics season is year round. It starts at the very beginning of the school year in August when the coaches seek out new recruitments interested in joining the team. Many of the students who choose to become involved are interested in numerous S.T.E.M pathways, and Robotics is the perfect opportunity for them to gain experience in the field. Junior Milan Games is one of these students who wanted to gain exposure and experience all the learning opportunities Robotics has to offer.
“I joined the Robotics team because I am passionate about S.T.E.M, and I enjoy spending time with people who are driven in the same thing I am passionate about,” Games said. “It is a great way to get exposed to different fields of engineering like electrical engineering, software engineering, mechanical engineering, and business management.”
As students become informed on numerous topics, build impressive projects, and use critical thinking skills, they also gain insight into colleges or programs that can help further them in their preferred fields. One of the notable coaches of the team, Brother Joseph Anoop, mentions one of the programs- FIRST. This program presents students an opportunity to connect with universities. The organization even allows students to receive scholarships that could assist them once attending their future colleges or universities.
“The FIRST organization collaborates with universities and colleges, offering exclusive scholarships that graduating seniors can apply for,” Anoop said. “The experiences gained through robotics are notable additions to college applications and serve as strong motivation for students to pursue careers in STEM fields.”
Robotics team member and senior, Ian Hutton believes that the recognition from major universities is a strong benefit of the program. He acknowledges graduated members of the Mater Dei team who have seen their dreams come to a reality.
“It looks amazing [on college applications],” Hutton said. “Many of our members have gotten into fantastic schools such as [University of] Michigan, UCLA, Northeastern, and UCI.”
The Mater Dei Robotics program specifically allows students to get noticed by colleges and universities due to the multiple awards the team has received through competitions. These awards stand out to these colleges and give students recognition for all their hard work. Junior Paul Le was specifically inspired to join the team because of this and the team’s reputation.
“A benefit regarding the robotics team is the chance to earn awards and recognition through competitions and design,” Le said.
One of the main and most exciting aspects of Robotics is building the actual robot itself which takes a lot of preparation, research, and work from all students. Every year, the robot starts from just one small brainstorming session, which eventually leads to building an impressive robot to compete with. Junior Eliana Figueroa explains how it takes the whole team’s effort to create and is definitely not an easy task.
“It’s a lot of trial and error. The team needs to constantly run and debug our robot and code,” Figueroa said. “This will ensure we have a stable and great foundation for the competition.”
Though the whole team must work together, students also break up into smaller teams based on their interests and/or talents. The C.A.D team designs the robot, putting their ideas together to make a 3D model that will eventually be built. The mechanical team then makes their idea into reality, building the robot. An electrical team must assist by working with power, assuring the robot can physically work. Finally, the coding team has to program the robot which helps the team win competitions. These teams consist of students ranging from experienced to new members which creates a great learning experience for all.
“Not only do you have a range of experienced students, but you also get to learn new things like coding the robot or building it,” Figueroa said.
The season so far has been full of competitions and challenges which the team has had to overcome. The team has two major competitions which are in Fresno and the OC Fair Grounds in March. These are regional competitions, in which the team competes against fellow California teams.
“The current season is exhilarating,” Anoop said. “The team has overcome challenges such as rain flooding our practice field in Bristol parking lot to creating a high performing robot.”
Outside of building robots or competing in major competitions, the team also gives back to the community. This year, the team made its way to Cristo Rey High School, just a few blocks from Mater Dei. Cristo Rey provides affordable education to low income students and helps introduce S.T.E.M. to them. The Robotics team brought some extra resources to the classroom that day by informing the students about numerous topics the program touches on.
The robotics team set up five learning stations featuring robots, virtual reality, holograms, 3D printing and much more,” Anoop said. “The students at Cristo Rey greatly enjoyed these activities.”
Robotics is not just an entryway to your dream college or an opportunity to prepare yourself in the hopes to become an engineer. It is a family. Working so closely together, the team builds friendships that they may have never formed without Robotics. Whether you enjoy artistic work or are a talented coder, there is a spot on the team for everyone. Robotics is always looking for new talent on the team, as well as new additions to the Robotics family.
“My favorite thing about Robotics is the friendships I’ve made from it. I have made a ton of lifelong friends from it and I am very glad I joined,” Hutton said. “If you are planning to go into business, engineering or coding, there is a spot for you on the team.”
