On May 20, approximately 200 students and parents attended the Hollister High School Robotics and Engineering College Signing Day Banquet, during which the robotics team’s nine graduating seniors were honored. The team, once again, graduated 100% of its seniors, who took 90 combined Advanced Placement and honors courses during their time at HHS, earning an average GPA of 3.5.
The seniors honored, along with their planned college of attendance and major, are: Isabela Anderson (San Jose State University; mechanical engineering); Ava Arciniega (college not yet declared; agricultural engineering); Diego Arenas (Colorado College; neuroscience); Jacob DeMaggio (U.C. Irvine; electrical engineering); Fisk Ehn (Colorado State University; mechanical
engineering); Raul Flores Jr. (CSU Monterey Bay; marine science); Lucas Fowler (U.C. Berkeley; applied mathematics); Antonio-Lopez Blanco (U.C. Merced; mechanical engineering); and Cristian Sanchez (U.C. Davis; biomechanical engineering). Fowler last week was announced as Hollister High School’s Class of 2024 valedictorian.
Guest speakers at the signing day banquet included Conectado CEO Guillermo Diaz and OSI Engineering CEO Javier Diaz.
Hollister High School’s Robotics and Engineering program, known as “Deep-Space Robotics,” is designed to empower students to prepare effectively for their future endeavors while developing a lifelong passion for learning. The primary objective is to equip students with the essential skills needed for success in college and their careers.
The majority of students in the program come from groups underrepresented in higher education, including first-generation college students, Latinos and those from other multi-cultural backgrounds.
Led by teacher Thien Vu-Nguyen and a group of advisors and mentors with ties to industry and education, Deep-Space Robotics students develop and enhance their skills through project-based learning and competitions, while honing skills in time management, collaboration, goal setting and perseverance.
Isabela Anderson, a 2024 Hollister High School graduate who will study mechanical engineering at San Jose State University, said, “Robotics is for everyone. Whether you want to learn about engineering or explore your creative side, anyone can find their niche here.”
She said she enjoys working with a “diverse group of ambitious individuals every day” and she credits Deep-Space Robotics with developing her leadership skills while helping her become “part of a community that sets me up for a successful career.”
