Last month, the Steel Hawks ran their annual summer program, Steel The Summer. During the program, returning students and staff introduced incoming freshmen to the foundations of robotics at THHS.
The program, led by physics teacher Micheal Quach, was created to provide a space for students to build a community with others who share the same interests in STEM. It introduced the concepts of CNC (Computer Numerical Control), 3D design, media, mechanics, electrical, and programming—all of which are crucial for competitions during the school year.
Incoming freshmen were able to gain first-hand experience with robotics team members. Freshman Zachary Ustoy said, “I like how the team has energy and how everybody works together in different fields.” He realized the importance of communication in the club, as it allows students to work together as a group.
Freshman Kanishka Ezhilarasan said, “You learn so many skills [in robotics] such as electrical, engineering, and programming […] these are skills that I’ve never learned in my life before.”
Additionally, the program taught students about different sub-teams that show how to create different robot parts.
“In CNC we’re learning about different tools such as a lathe and the hackshaw, which are all part of the basic tools when making the robot,” said Kanishka.
While the other teams focus heavily on building the robot for competitions, the outreach team provides more attention to writing well-developed essays to promote STEM. In return for community service hours, THHS students teach STEM lessons to younger audiences at various elementary and middle schools.
Senior and Vice President of Steel Hawks Jasmyn Pillay said, “People mainly think that we only do STEM-related things, but we have opportunities for people not involved in STEM so they get involved in robotics.”
Jasmyn joined the robotics summer program as a sophomore and has since discovered a passion for it. She said, “When I came to this program, I realized that robotics was more than just building robots. It was about building a community…That was something that I found really interesting and really valuable.”
THHS alum Rachel Chan also helped run the summer program. She will be continuing her passion for robotics at Harvard University this fall. While a student, Rachel worked in the mechanical team. She said, “What kept me going in mechanical is [that] we always had something to do. [On top of that,] I would always feel that if I didn’t know something, I would get help right away.”
Freshman Showa Lie said she joined the program because of a family connection: “My sister did robotics in another school, […] she would come home excited to tell us [about everything].” She said that her sister’s experiences inspired her interest in the overall robotics experience.
Although students from the summer program won’t be competing in competitions like these yet, the program encourages them to continue their passion for robotics at THHS.
“There’s always a place for everyone within the team,” said Jasmyn.
