SCGSSM

GSSM's Awesome Possums robotics team is heading to a national championship competition in Atlanta in April after taking the top prize Dec. 5 at the fifth annual FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Competition at S.C. State University.

The students, Nick Bishop of Easley, Mac Rogers of Bennettsville, David Sung of Columbia, and Dylan Pruitt of Summerville, teamed with a group from Varnville's Wade Hampton High to win the trophy.

Another GSSM participating team, the North Central Positronics, was able to secure a top-10 finish in the competition.

"I am extremely excited and proud of both teams," said Elizabeth Bunn, computer science/robotics instructor at GSSM.

"Learning is a major component in the robotics competition, but there is also a substantial amount of communication that is necessary ─ learning to talk to other teams, present ideas and build alliances. Both teams performed like true, professional engineers."

The FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Competition is sponsored by the non-profit For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Organization, the U.S. Department of Education and S.C. State's James E. Clyburn University Transportation Center.

Competition participants apply real-world math and science concepts and develop problem-solving, creativity, organizational and team-building skills while building their robot.

The FIRST Championship at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta is the final and largest event of the organization's robotics competition series.

A number of GSSM robotics team alumni have gone on to pursue engineering degrees and opportunities at a number of prestigious institutions including Vanderbilt University, North Carolina State, NASA Robotics Academy and Air Force ROTC.

To learn more about the robotics team please contact Dr. Elizabeth Bunn at bunn@gssm.k12.sc.us.