Visitation Junior Named Finalist for National Robotics Prize

Kate Azar, a junior at Convent of the Visitation, who has been a member of the school's all-girls robotics team since 2011, has been named a finalist for the the FIRST Robotics Dean's List Award, which is given annually to ten students showing technical knowledge, leadership skills, and an ability to inspire their team.

Elizabeth Arnstein called Azar "one of the finest students I have taught" and described her as "smart, funny and articulate."

Visitation has more in a press release:

According to For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), students who are nominated for the FIRST Dean’s List will “be great examples of student leaders who have led their teams and communities to increased awareness for FIRST and its mission, all the while achieving personal technical expertise and accomplishment.” In addition, FIRST reports that “colleges and universities are extremely interested in recruiting FIRST Dean’s List Award students.”

Kate was one of four students who were named finalists for the FIRST Dean’s List at the FIRST Robotics Regional Competition, held in Duluth on March 7-9.  She is now eligible to be one of ten FIRST Dean’s List Winners at the FIRST Robotics Competition Championships in April, which will be held in St. Louis.   

Kate was nominated for this award by Jonathan Stratis, one of the Robettes’ technical mentors from Boston Scientific.  In his nomination form, Stratis recognized Kate’s technical competence, intellectual curiosity, team spirit, leadership, organizational skills, and hard work securing Best Buy as a corporate sponsor. 

“Her technical ability has easily matched, if not surpassed, our best graduates,” said Stratis in his nomination essay. “When [Kate] was a rookie, she helped to design, test, and build two homemade optical encoders that were then utilized on the competition robot….In the off season, she has increased her knowledge of the control system, helped to train new members, and presented at the MN Splash event, educating over 100 students and mentors from other teams about the control system.”  In addition, said Stratis, “Her natural energy and enthusiasm acts as a model for all other team members.”

Kate also demonstrated considerable foresight and poise in landing Best Buy as a corporate sponsor, working with two adult mentors to secure sponsorship for both Visitation’s team and FIRST.  Because of Kate’s work and her successful pitch to Best Buy’s chief technology officer,  “the team received substantial funding from Best Buy,” said Stratis, “and FIRST was able to direct additional funding from Best Buy to three other teams in need. Best Buy also launched a program this summer called ‘Tech Teen Summit,’ and as a result of our established relationship, the Robettes were invited to participate and lead a hands-on robotics project.”

 “Kate has demonstrated over the past two seasons that she is, without a doubt, one of FIRST's All Stars. Her dedication and energy at the meetings is an inspiration even to the mentors,” concluded Stratis. “Unlike many other upcoming students, [in] her rookie year we didn't talk about how great a leader she would be in the future – we talked about how great a leader she already was.”

About the Robettes

Visitation’s Robettes team is the only all-girls robotics team in Minnesota.  The team, which currently has 23 members, has been in existence since 2006.  Under the guidance of Visitation faculty members and mentors from Boston Scientific and CA Technologies, the Robettes have seen considerable success during the last few years, most recently winning the Industrial Design Awards (sponsored by General Motors) at the 2013 regional tournament in Duluth, where the team placed fourth overall out of 50 teams.