In their last competition, Pentucket’s Robotics team, FRC9443 Aluminum Panthers, won first place at the UNH district competition as a third-year team.

Impressively, this is not the first time that the team has brought home a first-place trophy. Last year, they won first place at another district competition. 

In addition to winning competitions, the Aluminum Panthers have won several other awards for their hard work, including the Rookie All-Star Award, the Rookie Inspiration Award, the Rising All-Star Award, and the Creativity Award at the district level, and Rookie Inspiration again in their first year at the New England District Championship.

FRC9443 has participated in the District Championship twice, and they even qualified for the World Championship last year.

Most importantly, however, the team has made a notable impact on Pentucket’s community. Through their 105 outreach events, they have directly impacted over 27,000 community members through events such as food drives, blood drives, robot demonstrations, and so much more. The team was also responsible for putting out the fire last year, and they were given a Citation from Massachusetts Senator Bruce E. Tare and a Commendation from the State Fire Marshall, Jon M. Davine.

As said by student leader and third-year student, William “Will” Wallace, “I joined robotics because as long as I can remember, I’ve always liked building things, but until high school there were no real STEM opportunities for me. But through the robotics program, I’ve learned so many new skills and have become a more creative thinker. [On] top of that, I’ve joined an incredible community of peers that are so similar to me and are such great friends. Overall, joining robotics has been a more than rewarding experience that I shall never soon forget.”

Robotics Provides College and Employment Opportunities

There are many colleges that provide scholarships for students who have participated in a high school FRC robotics team, including, but not limited to, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), USC, George Washington University, Western New England University, Syracuse University, and Merrimack College. These scholarships may offer a few thousand dollars up to a full-ride scholarship. 

Many team members have been given scholarships for being on the team. The Aluminum Panthers Team Captain, Nicholas “Nick” Solioutis, was accepted to and given a generous scholarship to Merrimack College.

Pentucket alumnus Cameron “Cam” Keene was given a full-time job at Crystal Engineering, one of the team’s sponsors, as a direct result of his involvement on the team.

Additionally, even if a student attends a college that does not offer this scholarship, it still looks impressive on a college application, especially if the student decides to apply for one of the four leadership roles, which are available to any interested team member

Everyone is Welcome on the Team, Regardless of Skill

Seeing as a large number of adolescents struggle with self-esteem issues, a lot of students are hesitant to join robotics because they do not see themselves as “intelligent enough.” 

However, the robotics team accepts all Pentucket High School students, no matter their age or skill level, because the skills required to succeed in robotics are learned in real time.

Furthermore, robotics is not only about STEM. Many robotics members are more humanities-oriented, yet they still play an important role on the team.

As a matter of fact, one does not even need to work on the robot in order to be part of the robotics team. Yes, mechanical and electrical work are essential, but not all team members work on the robot’s hardware. In fact, the team needs many more students interested in programming and CAD.

This may be surprising, but a section of the team is not bound to STEM at all.

Those who work on the awards/marketing subteam primarily focus on planning, writing, and presenting the team’s achievements, as well as organizing community service events.

If one is more interested in art, the team also has a place for them. The robotics team annually needs artists and animators to create an animation at the beginning of the year, which they submit in order to obtain an award.

As Alice DiGiuseppe, one of the team’s awards subteam students, puts it: “I am so grateful for the robotics team. I have made so many new friends and learned so much, whether it’s about robotics, or awards, and even myself. The friendships I’ve made through it will definitely last a lifetime, and I’m so grateful for it. I’ve felt like I can explore myself and be as authentic as possible around the team. The memories that I now have through this team will last a lifetime, and I’m so happy for that. Everyone on the team is amazing and I’m so proud to be a part of it. I’m so happy to have found it this year and look forward to many more successful seasons with this amazing team!”

The Team Provides Real-Life Skills

Realistically, a large portion of Pentucket’s student population will end up studying or working in the STEM field. The robotics team allows students to learn these crucial skills now, rather than later.

Moreover, the team equips students with skills that all working professionals need in their day-to-day life, such as public speaking, leadership, marketing, strategy, critical thinking, professional communication, problem-solving, and many more.

Juliana Mortensen, a new member of the team’s drive team, remarks, “It has improved my mental health and made me feel seen for who I am. If I have bad days, robotics is always something I look forward to.

Robotics has helped me learn new skills (wiring, slight coding, etc) as well. Overall, robotics is a fantastic thing to experience, and [I] recommend it to everyone.”

Making Friends and Lasting Connections

The team provides a safe space for all students, regardless of characteristics that may have isolated them in the past.

As the team’s former mentor, Mr. Elhewl, had previously established, no drama is allowed on FRC9443. All prejudices and personal conflicts are to be left at the door.

All students who have joined the team have reported that it allowed them to make true friendships and feel included in a loving and supportive community.

One of the team’s beloved graduating seniors, Olivia “Ollie” Stacy, provided a beautiful testimony of the team’s impact on her life:  “But I felt seen and understood, cared for and not pitied. I felt like an actual person instead of a background character that nobody knew anything about. Being part of [the awards team] improved my ability to speak clearly to others in order to convey an important message, something I had regularly struggled with.

The team brought me friends, and I was offered scholarships that made me see the efforts I was putting in were paying off and this was something that was doing truly great things for me.

Through difficult times early last year and recently as well, you guys understood I needed time after my car accident and were patient with my gradual return. You guys helped me navigate school while my back was so bad that I needed someone to help me carry my own backpack, something that nobody else would’ve done voluntarily. 

And even though my mental [health] hasn’t been where I really want it to be, you guys have greatly improved it with the jokes we have that only we really understand. 

This team has made me happier than any sports team I’ve ever participated on, and more included than any extracurricular I’ve been part of, which I am extremely grateful for—the compassion, the care, the commitment and the laughs. I really enjoy being around all of you, and I’m glad I’ve spent my final two years of high school with you guys.”

The robotics team is now recruiting members to prepare new students for their next season. If interested, please contact Mr. Berube.