Local High School robotics team deemed ‘Rising All-Stars’ after regional competition in San Diego
GOLETA, Calif. – A local robotics team based out of Dos Pueblos High was awarded the 'Rising All-Star Award' after placing sixth out of 51 teams this past weekend during a regional FIRST Robotics Competition in San Diego.
According to the FIRST Robotics Competition group, the award was issued to the team for, "persisting through challenges, despite the difficulties of being a younger team, understanding the power of the FIRST mission and demonstrating through their actions both at home and at the competition the ethos of gracious professionalism and coopetition, serving as a role model for other young teams, and standing out as a team with a sustainable and promising future with FIRST."
Following their success, the team -known as Octobots Robotics 9084- is now ranked in the top five percent of FIRST Robotics teams in the world (#204 of 3,706 teams), #167 of 2,939 teams nationwide, and #25 of 290 teams in California.
"Our performance this weekend was outstanding," beamed Lead Octobots Robotics Team Mentor Michael Ramsey. "We have skyrocketed in performance on so many levels but what I am most proud of is our grit, the perseverance and effort that this team put in to overcome obstacles and challenges."
Octobots Robotics is an all-volunteer, all-inclusive team of Dos Pueblos High students that started as a small group of students and two volunteer mentors in 2023.
The team has no regular funding and instead, raises all of its operating funds each season, including travel and competition fees and of course, the cost to build the robot.
Want to help the team with its fundraising? Visit here to learn how to donate or sponsor.
The Octobots' commitment to STEAM education extends to volunteering at local science nights, community fairs, and -new this year- a summer camp for students in fifth grade up to first-year high schoolers.
"At only three-years old, Octobots proves to be the little robot (club) that could. While other competitive teams have full practice facilities, dozens of corporate sponsors, and paid coaches or teachers behind them, Octobots is a student-led, all-volunteer operation. Our mentors and parents volunteer thousands of hours to support the team. Dos Pueblos High School lends us the shop classroom and work area to build, program, and practice. We build an amazing robot, fundraise, strategize, project-manage, and give back in the community. We are proud to represent the Goleta and Santa Barbara area as the only FIRST robotics team in our area," explained Rogue Lindsay, Octobots Robotics 9084's Team Captain and student at Dos Pueblos High School.
The Octobots were also recognized for scoring the highest number of points in any single qualifying match during the entire competition.
But the local team isn't resting after their recent success and will head to the Central Valley Regional competition in Fresno the first weekend of April for one last chance to advance to the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship on April 16 to 19 in Houston, Texas.
FIRST Robotics is an international nonprofit founded by inventor Dean Kamen in 1989 and is now backed by a globe-spanning network of students, volunteers, educators, parents, alumni, and program delivery partners.
