FRC - 2019 DARK SIDE ROBOTICS

Dark Side Robotics was founded in 2019 by passionate individuals in High School who shared interests in robotics. Being located at the Caperton Technical Center a diverse group was able to form pulling from 4 different High Schools in Wood County. Under the guidance of our mentors Jared Voldness, Amy Stewart, and Joesph Overbaugh we began on the journey into the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). As a rookie team, there were numerous challenges from learning how to build, wiring, and even programming. 

With unwavering determination and countless hours of work in designing, building, and coding, paid off as we won the Rookie All-Star Award at our first competition. This qualified us for the World's First Robotics Competition in Detroit, Michigan. We faced fierce competition at worlds but thrived in facing adversity by leveraging our teamwork and problem-solving skills enabling us to win some matches. After the world's competition, we were invited to the Western Pennslyvania, Ohio, and West Virginia  First Robotics Competition. There we rose to occasions impressing judges and spectators and emerged victorious as the alliance champions. This reinforced that anything could be possible if hard work was put in.

Dark Side Robotics is still growing and building a legacy of success as the original group of students and I have graduated. This team has a significant impact on our community inspiring the next generation of aspiring roboticists and fostering a love for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

This could not have happened without the generous support from our donors and help from the Morgantown Area RoboticS (MARS) making us 1 of 4 teams in West Virginia. As I have graduated I still look back at the unforgettable times we had. A big shout out to our mentors for their continuing dedication to educating and inspiring the next generation.