Woodrow Wilson High School’s Robotics team, 44713B, has been making ripples at competition after competition, earning a myriad of shiny trophies and becoming what some might call trendsetters. On Dec. 8, 2024, the group received The Reputable Design award, acknowledging their innovative design and time consuming engineering. Due to this distinguished honor, many competitors have felt the needed to draw inspiration from the WWHS Robotics organization, “We had gone to a tournament in Pocahontas County with that design that we had come up with, and at the next tournament, the Kanawha County tournament, there were about 10 robots that had copied our design,” explains Robotics Coach, Jo Frost.
The Robotics team, who have been competing for the last three school years, relies on collaboration and critical problem solving. “If students get really stumped, I’ll ask guiding questions to help them work through their thought process,” reports one leader. This hands-off coaching style has empowered the students to grow and develop defined thinking skills along with a self-reliant mindset.
Their efforts paid off again on Jan. 18, 2025, when the team secured first place in the skills, a subcategory of the competition. With a combination of creativity, determination, and teamwork, 44713B continues to set the bar high for the future of the team. “I’ve noticed not a lot of people realize we exist and are a thing, and most students don’t realize we even have a robotics program” said leader, Noah Spaulding, wishing pupils would come out to support them at their next competitions. To see our underdog Robotics Team, please attend their next competition on Feb. 8, 2025, in WVUtech’s gym at noon.
For future updates regarding the team’s progression please follow their official social media pages on: Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
