2019 Silicon Valley Regional (SVR)

Notre Dame was well represented by the Janksters as they competed in the Silicon Valley Regional at the SJSU Event Center on March 29-31. The Robotics team handled the challenges of competition with excellent teamwork, collaboration and communication skills. Aside from making sure they had a functional robot for every match, team members were recognized with two awards.

On the first day of competition, the team was able to pass inspection after lunch and go out to the practice matches to test all the robot components. The second day of competition the team was faced with some difficult matches and heavy defense, but the students were able to learn from each match, making steady improvements throughout competition to enhance driving and scoring. The robot was kept in running order by the students in the pit who incorporated feedback about robot performance, made fixes, and replaced damaged parts. At the end of the qualifications on Sunday the team was ranked 28th, having won five of the nine qualification matches.

Our mentor, Alvin Cheng, was recognized as the winner of the Woodie Flowers Award given to one outstanding mentor at each regional. Alvin has been working with the team for 13 years and has been a FIRST participant since 1999. He is instrumental in teaching and assisting the students with the technical aspects of building the robot, but is also impactful in helping the students grow as individuals. We are so glad that the Alvin has been recognized by the FIRST community for his amazing dedication.

Kaitlyn Kumar ‘20 (KK) was recognized as a Dean’s List Finalist. Two students at each regional are recognized for their leadership and impact to their teams. KK has been a key leader on our team and has also contributed towards the mission of FIRST by helping run FLL teams, assisting at FTC tournaments and networking with teams from as far away as Indiana. We are proud of KK being recognized for her high level of commitment.

As the Janksters wrap up their competitions for the spring, they have reflected on the tremendous growth they have had as a group and individuals. The team has improved communication between committees and efficiency when working at the competition. The students also take pride in their personal growth as they learned to work together, step out of their comfort zone and tackle challenging problems.

The Janksters were also featured in a segment by ABC7 News. You can view that here.

Don’t forget to follow the Janksters on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, for the latest team updates: @team1967