Assets School’s Robotics Team Waffles won first place at the State Championships today. The team eats Waffles like a family before each competition. The team at eats together wins together.
Team Waffles from Assets and Team X-bots from Punahou will both be representing Hawaii in the world championship event in Houston, Texas from April 19 -21 at the 2023 FIRST Championship. Last year 51 countries were represented.
"I’m really proud of what our teams have done today,” said Team Waffles captain Emily ‘25. ”I think it’s incredible that Assets teams and especially Team Waffles was able to win a ticket to worlds. It was definitely a memorable and proud moment for the entire school."
The teams are lead by Coach Peter Han and Coach Miles Yamamoto.
For a week in November 2022, Team Waffles was ranked fifth in the world beating out teams from New York, Florida, Australia, and Canada, according to the First Tech Challenge website FTCStats.org. Assets was the only Hawaii team in the top 10 that week.
Assets School’s Team MEAF made it to the semi-finals and is highly ranked in the state championship.
Team MEAF Captain Aren ‘24 was named a Dean’s List Award Finalist for his contributions to
the team and for his outreach efforts. He will be one of 209 Dean’s List Award Finalists who will attend the 2023 FIRST Championship in Houston. He will speak about his outreach which includes forming robotics teams at other schools and sharing robotics with non-profit organizations such as the Okinawan Festival and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
"It’s all about the next generation,” said Aren ‘24. “They’re our future. Inspire them so we can be inspired by their success."
Of the 209 Dean’s List Finalists, 10 will be selected to get scholarship consideration and other prizes.
Coach Peter Han and Coach Miles Yamamoto lead the high school robotics teams.
“It’s a real celebration,” said Han. “This is the first time in the school’s history for us to go to the world competition. A small school like ours makes it!”
Photo from left to right: Coach Miles Yamamoto, Team MEAF Captain and Dean's List Finalist Aren '24, and Coach Peter Han.