Emily '25 was honored as a FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Dean's List Award Finalist during the FTC State Championships on Sunday, December 10. Emily's outstanding leadership and dedication while serving as the captain of Team Waffles set her apart.
Her exceptional contributions have earned her the privilege of representing the Hawaii FTC region at the 2024 FIRST World Championship in Houston, Texas, from April 17 to 20. Emily will stand alongside other talented students to showcase their skills and innovations on a global stage.
Judges were particularly impressed with Emily's commitment to uplifting her teammates and her efforts to expand FIRST Robotics programs. One standout initiative was the Game Manual Quiz she devised, which was aimed at helping students grasp the intricacies of FTC game rules. This innovative approach garnered attention, with over 2,300 students from 400 teams and various countries participating in the quiz.
Emily's recognition as a Dean's List Award Finalist is a testament to her exemplary leadership, dedication to her team, and valuable contributions to the FIRST Tech Challenge community.
All three Assets High School’s FTC robotics teams participated in yesterday’s State Championships. Team Waffles was started in 2018 at Assets School by the Director of Robotics and High School Math Teacher, Peter Han. Due to popular demand for robotics, Mr. Han continued to expand the Assets Robotics program, which currently has three active teams. Coaches for the High School robotics teams are Miles Yamamoto, who teaches High School Science, and Emi Hagiwara, who teaches High School Math and Japanese. Assets School also has a K-8 robotics team that started in 2019 and has participated in the FIRST LEGO League Masterpiece State Championships for three consecutive years in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
As of August 2022, 43 students have graduated as Robotics participants, most pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) degrees post-high school.