Join the Team

"I first started SWARM back in late summer of 2023, it was after I just finished middle school and was about to begin my high school career. I was uncomfortable and not super interested at first but it really grew on me. I honestly wasn’t super interested or involved as much until we entered the Reefscape season, I really enjoyed how well our entire team performed and I was happy to be apart of the pit crew because it really felt like I was a major contributor to our bot during those matches/events. I really enjoyed being able to go to worlds, it was my first time I ever went outside of Oregon (except for Washington). I must say SWARM has really taught me some leadership values, it is not just about STEM or making robots, it’s really about making students become great leaders when they grow up."

• Shawn

I first joined SWARM due to one of my friends asking if I wanted to because she thought I’d enjoy it and it would be a good fit to get me out more. Which really did work, not only has SWARM helped me get an idea of what to want for a future career, but also helped me figure out social skills and really get to work with more people with confidence and so many items beyond robotics. Starting on offseason of 2024 and since then I talk about it often in and outside of meets, it has helped build creative thinking and quick fix skills as well as getting tons of new people meet and new places visited for competitions, Robotics has really been a fun item for the past few years and will be for future years as well!! It’s Became something for me to look forward to every day and get me out of the house socializing with people who share interests. 

• Kaitlyn 

I first joined Swarm at the end of my 7th grade because of my brother. I first started watching competition since my brother Hector joined the team. At first I thought it was boring because I didn’t understand how the game worked, But then in the 2023 outreach season, swarm was at the fair and my parents wanted to go see my brother so we went to go see him and I watched the robot in action and I thought it was so cool and I wanted to make one too. Once I joined the team I had no idea what I was doing but I had great mentors and teammates to help me find my way through it. I learned a whole bunch from these past two years and it’s boosted my confidence so much. I used to be one of those kids who never liked to speak out in front of people and was always following others with what they were doing. My first outreach I was already speaking up to people talking about robotics, it was when I realized I actually found something I was committed to and enjoyed a lot and something I could talk about to others. I also had this older student who helped me learn a lot more about the mechanical area of things. He was the old mechanical lead and he showed me how it was like to be one. I am now the current mechanical lead thanks to him and his recommendation for this role. Robotics was my reason for getting up and going to school because I knew robotics was after. I also really love the competition  season where you get to meet others from different teams, make relationships, have fun, and see how their robots work.  

• Oli