Tappan Zee High School’s FIRST Robotics Competition team, SO BOTZ, hosted its FIRST Signing Day 2022 ceremony this afternoon to celebrate the post-graduate plans of its senior members.
The mission of FIRST is to inspire youth to become science and technology leaders and innovators through mentor-based programs that build STEM skills. Since its inception, SO BOTZ has attracted community-based mentors–including several TZ alumni–who have volunteered countless hours to provide student members with specialized knowledge, technical and project management skills and career exploration opportunities.
For most members, SO BOTZ offers an exciting and highly-competitive opportunity to apply and build upon what they have learned in their computer science, engineering, math, science and business courswork at TZHS. Developing a “tech talent pipeline”–a key priority for members since the team’s inception–has driven a number of outreach efforts within South Orangetown K-8 schools and in our local community. The team has also secured support from industry sponsors, including Orange & Rockland Utilities, Werfen, Goosetown Communications, 1P.org, Daikin and Telemetrics.
Congratulations to the six SO BOTZ seniors on their post-graduation plans:
Kayla Ng, Project Manager: Cornell University, Computer Science
Giovanni Lopresti, Project Manager: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Mechanical Engineering
Alvin Thomas, Build Lead: Binghamton University, Mechanical Engineering
Henry Huang, Software Lead: Harvard University, Computer Science
Declan Hayes, Build Member: The College of New Jersey
Maya Nair, Finance and Marketing Lead: Hunter College, Sociology
FIRST Signing Day is celebrated by FIRST Robotics Competition teams across the globe. SO BOTZ has participated since 2018, its inaugural competition season.
