The countdown begins. The buzzer sounds. For the first 30 seconds, there are no hands on controllers, no second chances, no do-overs. Just code, strategy and a robot moving entirely on its own.
At Immaculata High School, those moments represent months of preparation, collaboration and relentless problem solving. And this year, they led to a historic achievement.
Earlier this winter, Immaculata’s Team Hexacore competed at the FIRST Tech Robotics Competition. Out of 24 teams, Team Hexacore placed second overall, earning a coveted spot at the Provincial Championships at Brock University in St. Catharines. It marks the first time ever that the Ottawa Catholic School Board will be represented at the Provincial Championships.
A Moment of Exhilaration
When the results were announced, the reaction was immediate.
“They were exhilarated and felt very rewarded for all the hard work and countless hours they put in to accomplishing their goals,” shared Lynnette Raffin, Department Head of Technology at Immaculata.
The achievement was the culmination of long after-school sessions, redesigns, testing, troubleshooting and refining. It was also a testament to the resilience and teamwork that define Immaculata’s robotics program.
Immaculata sent four teams to the competition this season. While only Team Hexacore secured a provincial berth, the results reflect a growing culture of excellence in technology and innovation at Immaculata.
Engineering Under Pressure
For those unfamiliar with FIRST Tech Robotics, the competition is far more than a single match.
Each year, FIRST releases a new challenge built around a creative theme. This year’s game had an archaeology focus. Teams were tasked with designing and building robots capable of collecting “artifacts” from the ground and launching them into end goals to earn points.
Robots compete in alliances of two teams. During the first 30 seconds of every match, robots must operate autonomously, relying solely on pre-programmed instructions. After that, student drivers take control to complete the remaining tasks.
Success demands far more than a well-built machine. It requires strategy, adaptability and precise execution under pressure.
For Atri Sarker, the scale of the competition was unforgettable.
“My experience with FTC and FIRST has been absolutely amazing. It was super rewarding to see the robot that my team and I spent countless hours on stand and compete alongside the other insanely impressive robots at the venue.”
“I loved the independence and control we had over our design because once it was finished, it felt like our very own creature that we raised, nurtured and built with our own hands.”
Learning Beyond Robotics
While engineering and coding are at the heart of the program, the learning extends well beyond technical skills.
Students take on distinct roles within their teams. Some focus on programming. Others build and refine the robot. Innovators manage fundraising, create the team website and engineering manual, reach out to sponsors, plan events, design branding and ensure deadlines are met.
“They need to organize their roles in the team,” Raffin explained. “They manage deadlines and keep the team on task.”
Through the process, students develop collaboration and teamwork skills, learning how to offer constructive feedback and take responsibility for their work. They gain independence by solving problems in real time. They practice public speaking as they present their robot, describe their design process and respond to judges’ questions about obstacles and improvements.
They also experience real-world accountability. Deadlines matter. Preparation matters. Planning a development process before building matters.
For Yoma Ozoh, who served as an innovator on the team, the growth went far beyond engineering.
“I’ve evolved so much as a person in terms of my organizational and management skills. As an innovator, my job was to manage outreach, fundraising, media and team organization, and that has really strengthened my leadership skills more than I could imagine.”
Competing at Provincials brought those lessons into focus.
“Our early mornings, long evenings, holidays and PD days spent in preparation felt so worth it. I couldn’t be prouder of the team and how far we’ve come.”
Perhaps most importantly, students build connections with other teams, exchanging ideas and learning from one another in a supportive and innovation-driven community.
Creativity in Action
For many students, the robotics course offers something uniquely empowering.
In their words, it is “way more fun than the standard engineering course because we get to be very creative and make our own design and implement our own ideas instead of having to do a preset project.”
That freedom to imagine, test, revise and build from the ground up fuels both engagement and excellence.
Their journey reflects perseverance, innovation and the power of student-led learning.
At Immaculata High School, robotics is not just about building machines. It is about building leaders, collaborators and confident problem solvers ready to take on the next challenge, autonomous mode and all.
