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Connections

From the classroom to the arena: Rochester students take on robotics challenges

WXXI News

Rochester City School District (RCSD) students are gearing up for a weekend of competition. The second annual RCSD Flower City Frenzy Robotics Competition will be held on Saturday at East High School.

In recent years, NPR has referred to robotics as a sport that builds the next generation of engineers. We talk with the students about the robots they've built, the skills they've learned, and how they hope to transfer their experiences beyond school walls, especially in the age of AI.

Our guests:

  • Sheldon Cox, executive director of career and technical education at the Rochester City School District
  • Vicki Robertson, First Robotics mentor for the X-Cats at Wilson Magnet High School
  • Daniel Newland, senior at Padilla High School and member of the electrical/programming team for XQ Robotics
  • Charimar Colon, sophomore at Padilla High School and member of the mechanical/build team for XQ Robotics
  • Noor Hussein, senior at Joseph C. Wilson High School and a robot driver/software lead for the X-Cats
  • Angel Rios, sophomore at Joseph C. Wilson High School and a drive team coach and electrical lead for the X-Cats
  • Izaya Sandsan, sophomore at East High School and a robot builder and controller for the Crimson Jewels

Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.