Some people wait for Christmas, others for summer vacation. As for gearheads and programming whizzes across southern California, we wait for the Los Angeles Regional FIRST Robotics Competition. Over the course of three days in mid-March, dozens of teams compete in a themed game that requires their robots to maneuver around a field and score in some type of goal.
Rosary’s team is named Royal Rebel Robotics, a name that encompasses our goal of deconstructing obstacles that stand against women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (also known as STEM). Ms. Waldman, one of Royal Rebel Robotics’ moderators along with Mr. Guerrero, emphasized our mission as a groundbreaking team: “It is so important to foster spaces where young women feel empowered to do great things, especially in STEM. As a mentor, I love getting to be a part of that space.”
The FIRST Robotics Competition, or FRC, theme for 2024 was “Crescendo,” which connected to a music-themed game. The main goal was called a “speaker,” the area where robots park at the end of the match was “the stage,” and a smaller goal was “the amp.” The goal was to deposit “notes” (foam rings) into either the speaker or the amp. Royal Rebel Robotics finished this year ranked 26th out of 44 teams, proudly improving over 10 places from last year’s ranking.
Teams are divided into two alliances of three teams, with the alliances switching after every match. Oftentimes, the atmosphere is more collaborative than competitive, with more experienced teams giving a helping hand to newer teams. Madison Lising ‘24, our head coder, experienced this friendly attitude firsthand, “Being in front of the code and learning from adults at the competition was also so interesting. I learned a lot from the nice mentors of other teams on how to fix problems in the code and how to read some of the harder lines of code.” Additionally, many teams lend each other parts or even team members to help fix robots damaged in competition.
Royal Rebel Robotics, also known as R3 or 8898, was recently a rookie team. In 2022, our first year as a team, we went to FIRST’s World Championships in Texas. Megan Martinez ‘24, one of the team members that went on that trip, loved the experience: “Worlds was a once in a lifetime experience, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity not only to deepen my understanding of the world of robotics, but also collaborate with teams from hundreds of countries.” While at Worlds, 8898 ran into teams from France, Greece, and Mexico. Still, we were one of the only all-girls teams, which gave us a unique advantage.
Some of the necessary components of a functioning robot include computer code that allows the drive team to pilot the robot, a scoring mechanism, and a well-constructed chassis and electronics. Our head driver Marissa Valencia ‘26 enjoyed the process of leading up to the competition, “Being in robotics this year was one of my favorite memories, even with all the panic building the week before and wiring and coding the robot at the competition. I’ll never forget this year’s early mornings, late evenings, and all the fun in between.” A special shout out to Room 7; the laughs, chaos, and bonds formed in those four walls gave us unforgettable memories.
If you’re contemplating joining 8898, I highly recommend it. Senior Althea Arazo perfectly summarizes why: “Robotics gave me the opportunity for hands-on experience and thinking innovatively while being able to collaborate with my fellow sisters.” Whether you’re a coder, technician, builder, or driver, there’s a home for everyone on Royal Rebel Robotics.
