BY Christian Warren Freed
If you have watched a science fiction movie over the last twenty years or so, you will no doubt understand that machines are preparing to take over the world, and it’s our fault. Throw in the robot that debuted a few years back whose first words were focused on destroying humans and we might have a problem.
Thankfully, we are nowhere near that point yet, but our growing little town is home to a world-class robotics team — Holly Springs High School’s Hawktimus Prime. It’s been a few years since we featured the team in our pages and not only have we gained new readers, but the team is continuing to grow.
If you’ve never heard of Hawktimus Prime, these kids are rising stars, both here at home and across the country. Originally formed to give students the opportunity to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning, the program has evolved over the last fifteen years. Early on, students worked with little or no guidance and, as the senior advisor recalls, “Their robots would barely work and leave a trail of parts behind.”
Flash forward to today and the team has a robust system of coaches and mentors using a wide range of STEM skills to teach the students through hands-on activities. By doing so, the coaches eliminated potential learning barriers to students who lacked any of the prerequisite skills required for team membership. Now, the only requirement is that every student must have the desire to learn. Adding on to the already existing program, last year saw the inclusion of the engineering process. Robot development is no easy feat (I certainly don’t get it) and these kids are excelling at applying the Pugh Analysis, which involves a complex process of debating, teaching, researching, and asking questions.
Every aspect of the robot building process is scrutinized and rechecked. Students are put into positions of increasing responsibility, developing their leadership skills and fostering a deep understanding of the mechanical processes of their robots. To emphasize this point, head coach and Holly Springs teacher Stephen Rasey will remind the volunteer mentors to take their “hands off the robot” and let the students take charge.
One key difference between this program and traditional teaching is in the mentors and coaches asking questions of the students when the team runs into an issue. Not only does this force the students to apply critical thinking skills, but it also establishes confidence and the ability to think through problems.
Mr. Rasey reinforces this by saying, “The end goal isn’t winning. It is for the kids to dream up whatever design they want and learn a ton of things on the journey to making their dream a reality.” This winning attitude has seen the Hawktimus Prime team being selected for engineering awards at district and state level competitions last year.
Academically, team members put school first and they have developed an internal system to tutor each other throughout the school year. Advisors step in as well, helping the team remain on top of their grades as well as focusing on their robots. Mr. Rasey likes to say, “Compared to other sports teams, we like to point out that almost 100% of our team goes pro. STEM pro, that is.”
Hawktimus Prime is far more than just another school team or after-school club. It has evolved into a robust family of coaches, mentors, and students — freshmen through seniors — who all play a part in helping continue their legacy of learning and success. Just ask Malik Gassar, a foreign exchange student from Libya who has nothing but positive experiences to remember.
Robot driver and all-around loved, Malik’s parting comments continue resonating with the team and the Holly Springs community: “Hey everyone, I’m writing this to express how lucky I was to meet you all! Today was my last time with you guys and it was fabulous. I never thought I’d make any friends here or be accepted and here I am making a whole big family. I enjoyed every single meeting with the team with all its jokes, hard work and laughter. You guys will have a supporter from Libya who will stay up until 3 am just to watch your matches. At the end, I’d say thank you guys for making my year unforgettable. I love you all.”
Perhaps no truer words have ever been spoken. Not only is this a testament to the power of a quality program, it is indicative of the family feeling shared in Holly Springs High School and our town. Armed with that kind of strength, aren’t we all a little unstoppable?
Like every other school program, Hawktimus Prime faces sustainability challenges. Covid hampered matters in unexpected ways, almost halting the momentum the team had built up in the years prior. The halt of in-school education made it difficult to transfer critical knowledge to new team members, prompting a reboot shortly thereafter.
Mr. Rasey believes this is where the team began to gel as a family. Juniors and seniors took on greater leadership roles. Gone was the prerequisite of having robotics knowledge and in came the STEM focus. The changes worked.
Hawktimus Prime recently went to the world competition in Houston, Texas, where they competed against teams from all 50 states as well as 38 different countries. Talk about pressure! Not ones to rest on their accomplishments, the students quickly turned around and headed to ECU for the state finals.
It should come as no surprise that they can’t succeed on their own. Since Hawktimus Prime isn’t funded by Holly Springs High or the Wake County Public School System, there is a lot of fundraising and community support involved. The average cost of a robot can exceed $15,000 and then there are tournament fees, travel costs, and other expenses. You can see how this quickly adds up. Friends, family, corporations and businesses all contribute to fund these rising stars. Coaches work tirelessly year-round, often sacrificing their nights and weekends. Mr. Rasey personally logged over 1,600 hours with the team last year alone.
If you find yourself wondering if there’s something you can do to help, Mr. Rasey has you covered.
“A whole bunch of small donations can quickly add up to meet the funding for a season. If anyone has a business and would like to sponsor us with larger donation, that would be amazing. (You also get your logo on the back of our team shirts and on the robots!) Our pie-in-the-sky dream is that someone has a flex-use air-conditioned space, preferably with a bathroom, that could permanently house the team.”
Hawktimus Prime is a designated 501(c)(3) non-profit so if you’re thinking of donating or helping out, go ahead and get that tax donation form ready.
The team has been touted around town at various events, and rightfully so. From Holly Fest to the annual Christmas parade, these kids are on full display to make us proud and give us something positive to look forward to in a world determined to be gloomy.
