Four students from Tappan Zee High School Robotics Club – Joanna George, Logan Tabor, Joseph Blanchet, and Mitchell Jacobs – presented their latest enterprise (a semi-autonomous robot) at the weekly South Orangetown Rotary Club meeting on December 6 at the ’76 House in Tappan. Don’t get me wrong…the robot was great. However, what impressed the audience the most were the students themselves who ventured forth into the community in search of sponsors and funding for their FIRST Robotics Competition. In addition to dazzling the Rotarians and invited guests with their technical talents, the club members (team competition name: SO BOTZ, Team 6911) demonstrated their qualities as productive members of society. We witnessed students who are articulate, persuasive, collegial, insightful, forward-thinking, and passionate. These students are leaders who clearly communicate their vision.
In the presentation, one of the students remarked that she really didn’t know what she “was getting into,” and that she initially saw this as something that might look good on a college application. But what she hadn’t expected was that robotics had turned into a starting point that allowed her to realize her passion for marketing and project management. Sure, she learned some coding and mechanical skills required to work with robotics. Beyond this, she soon realized that the marketing and community outreach aspects of the FIRST Robotics Competition are what compelled her to take her involvement to the next level. Another student commented on the value of leadership towards moving the project forward. Every member of the team has a role and the leadership function becomes obvious if the team expects to make progress – not typically an easy lesson to learn in a traditional classroom setting. Another unexpected outcome was the realization by the students that communications across different technology platforms are critical. While the team uses social media to fundraise and search for sponsors, standing in front of a live audience, face-to-face, is a fundamental element of a successful communications strategy. The students’ presentation to the Rotary Club was well-planned, rehearsed and provided for an essential two-way dialogue with prospective donors and sponsors.
The team probably describes themselves best when they write:
“We are a diverse group of students from Tappan Zee High School with a passion for inventing and innovating. With the help of advisors, mentors, and other supporters, we push the boundaries of our imagination to produce a robot, compete, and have fun!”
…and with that, I can’t wait to see them in their inaugural (FIRST) competition in March 2018. Best wishes to these students who represent our school district and make us proud!
Officers of the Tappan Zee High School FIRST Robotics Competition Team are:
- President – Kevin Huang
- Vice President – Alex Gottlieb
- Secretary – Amanda Bermel
- Treasurer – Gary Hu
- Public Relations – Joseph Blanchet
- Website Admin – Logan Tabor
- Head of Coding – Matthew Chun
- Head of Electrical – Mitchell Jacobs
- Scouter – Raymond Constancio
The list of “thank yous” will continue to grow, however, let me start by thanking some important people whose caring and commitment to our students has made SO BOTZ a reality. A great big debt of gratitude to:
- SOCSD Advisors – Mrs. Connell, Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Murphy, Mr. Eckert
- Community and Parent Volunteers
- Generous donations and sponsorship from Orange and Rockland Utilities and the office of Sen. David Carlucci
If you’d like to sponsor the SO BOTZ, contribute financial donations (tax-deductible), get involved, or learn more please visit: http://blogs.socsd.org/botz/