FIRST Team 4414, High Tide brought robotics back to Ventura County.
Team 4414: HighTide, a community based FIRST robotics team, hosted the 3-day robotics competition Tidal Tumble at Ventura County Fairgrounds, October 15-17. Fifteen teams from around California and one from Hawaii traveled to Ventura to put their robots to the test.
Velma Lomax, FIRST Regional Director, Southern California said, “It’s been two years since most of these teams have competed in-person with a robot. When I walked into TIDAL TUMBLE the mood was high, the kids were excited, and the teams were so happy. I would like to personally thank the sponsors, Sessa Mfg. and especially FIRST Team 4414, High Tide, for putting on this event and bringing Robotics back to Ventura County.”
Team 4414: HighTide’s training lab is housed at Sessa Mfg. where industry professionals’ mentor high school students on CAD, manufacturing, programming and more. Michael Sessa expressed his enthusiasm for TIDAL TUMBLE, “Having the event seaside at the Ventura Fairgrounds was remarkable. Team Member and Event Director Anshul Bajaj’s hard work and perseverance gave us the confidence to pull off a successful event. We are also extremely grateful to the generous donors in our community that made it possible.”
Bajaj, a 12th grader at El Camino High School, served as Event Director and built support for the off-season competition, from concept to execution, fundraising to securing technical volunteers, managing logistics/equipment and more. Bajaj said, “We are so thankful for the incredible volunteer group who helped make the event a success, and to the teams that came to compete! Our inaugural TIDAL TUMBLE provided a competitive and intimate atmosphere that allowed students to truly get involved.”
New Team Member, Aadhya Bavkar, 9th Grader at Foothill High felt “Everybody working together in a frenzy to fix the robot within back-to-back matches was truly exhilarating. The overall positive energy and intense adrenaline of the competition was a whole new experience for me and I will always remember it!”
Dan Holmes Internationally acclaimed photographer said, “It was inspiring to see all the high school students so deeply engaged in operating their robots, and running the show! Everyone involved was enthusiastic, full of fun, and pride – kudos to all the competitors, organizers, volunteers, and audience!”
Hector Guerrero, Principal El Camino High School found the weekend to be an “amazing opportunity for our youth to shine. Watching students challenge conventional standards through collaboration, critical thinking and application of STEM education, all while having fun, proves why we need more opportunities of this kind in our community. It was a showcase of student creativity and innovation that make me feel optimistic for our student’s futures.”
Tidal Tumble was made possible by sponsors SessaMfg, FASTSIGNS of Ventura, Kearney Family, Narayan Family, Shew Family, My Best Friend Obedience, 359 Hawaiian Kids, Lea Sessa Memorial Fund and Wulff Family.
For more information: tidaltumble.com
