Paths of Passion: Building More Than Just Robots
Shawnigan’s 360 (co-curricular arts and activities) robotics program was founded in 2012 through the vision of alumnus Dennis Ren. Over the ensuing 12 years, our students have transformed the program into a competitive powerhouse that has to date sent six teams to the VEX Robotics World Championships. John P., a team leader in this year’s competition, shares his experiences with one of Shawnigan’s most successful and dynamic extracurricular programs.
“Where do you guys work? Is there even a robotics lab in this school?” That’s what most people ask us when we say we are doing robotics. I mean, I understand because even my teammates didn’t know if the robotics lab existed until I convinced them to join robotics. Yet unknown to many people, robotics is so much more than just a club – it’s a place that is filled with overflowing creativity and passion.
I joined robotics last year, at the start of Grade 10. Originally having a lot of curiosity about coding and building my own robot, I wanted to explore what this program looks like and what I could learn from it. The game in 2023-24, created by VEX Robotics, was called “Over Under,” which I would describe as similar to soccer, in which the objective is to get balls into a net, but the differences are that there are four players (robots) in the game (2 vs. 2) and that there are a lot of balls in the field. My team had three members, including myself, with the roles of builder, driver, and coder. We were all beginners who joined in that year, and I still can’t forget the memories of the VEX competitions that we attended that year.
Building a robot, especially when you're a beginner, is not easy. The dedication it took to get to where we are now in robotics was nothing short of intense. There were several days where we had to spend hours and hours trying to make one specific part of the robot work, whether it was the drivetrain, the shooting mechanism, or just getting the code to sync up properly with the robot. With the repetition of failure, it felt like no matter how hard we tried, we felt like we were stuck in a loop over and over again.
But here’s the thing about robotics. It taught me to embrace failure. Failure, in fact, became my closest friend that I worked with. It's in those moments of frustration, when the robot doesn’t drive straight, or the sensors don’t read properly, that you begin to understand how to solve problems in ways you never thought possible. The repetition of failure was exhausting, but as soon as we realized just how important those “failures” were in shaping our final product, the moments of success and indescribable joy followed along.
Looking back, joining robotics has been one of the most rewarding decisions I’ve made. It’s not just about the competitions of robots; I feel like it's the moments I spend with our team, whether it's full of excitement while having a dinner of sushi all together in the lab or the madness and disappointment we felt all together when we lost a match we could have won. Robotics have not only taught me to embrace failure and to stretch out my creativity, but more than anything, it’s given me a group of friends and teammates who share the same passion and who I can casually talk to, whether it’s at the robotics lab, class, or when we just briefly greet each other with a smile while we are each on our way to classes.
So, if you're ever curious about robotics or want to give it a try, don’t hesitate. You never know; it might give you an opportunity to find out where the robotics lab truly is in the School. To quote Mr. Paul Doig, a teacher at Shawnigan and an integral figure in the robotics program, “Go Robots!”
Back
I joined robotics last year, at the start of Grade 10. Originally having a lot of curiosity about coding and building my own robot, I wanted to explore what this program looks like and what I could learn from it. The game in 2023-24, created by VEX Robotics, was called “Over Under,” which I would describe as similar to soccer, in which the objective is to get balls into a net, but the differences are that there are four players (robots) in the game (2 vs. 2) and that there are a lot of balls in the field. My team had three members, including myself, with the roles of builder, driver, and coder. We were all beginners who joined in that year, and I still can’t forget the memories of the VEX competitions that we attended that year.
Building a robot, especially when you're a beginner, is not easy. The dedication it took to get to where we are now in robotics was nothing short of intense. There were several days where we had to spend hours and hours trying to make one specific part of the robot work, whether it was the drivetrain, the shooting mechanism, or just getting the code to sync up properly with the robot. With the repetition of failure, it felt like no matter how hard we tried, we felt like we were stuck in a loop over and over again.
But here’s the thing about robotics. It taught me to embrace failure. Failure, in fact, became my closest friend that I worked with. It's in those moments of frustration, when the robot doesn’t drive straight, or the sensors don’t read properly, that you begin to understand how to solve problems in ways you never thought possible. The repetition of failure was exhausting, but as soon as we realized just how important those “failures” were in shaping our final product, the moments of success and indescribable joy followed along.
Looking back, joining robotics has been one of the most rewarding decisions I’ve made. It’s not just about the competitions of robots; I feel like it's the moments I spend with our team, whether it's full of excitement while having a dinner of sushi all together in the lab or the madness and disappointment we felt all together when we lost a match we could have won. Robotics have not only taught me to embrace failure and to stretch out my creativity, but more than anything, it’s given me a group of friends and teammates who share the same passion and who I can casually talk to, whether it’s at the robotics lab, class, or when we just briefly greet each other with a smile while we are each on our way to classes.
So, if you're ever curious about robotics or want to give it a try, don’t hesitate. You never know; it might give you an opportunity to find out where the robotics lab truly is in the School. To quote Mr. Paul Doig, a teacher at Shawnigan and an integral figure in the robotics program, “Go Robots!”
John P. is a Grade 11 student at Shawnigan Lake School and a team leader within the Robotics 360. He, alongside his team, has qualified for and is set to compete in the 2025 BC Provincial Championships.
Shawnigan would like to acknowledge the support of all donors to C.A.S.E. whose contributions make applied arts and technology focused learning a reality for our students and teachers. The C.A.S.E. (Communications, Arts, Sciences and Entrepreneurship) program is a Shawnigan differentiator that offers a dynamic, hands-on learning environment to inspire, train and prepare students for careers in applied arts and technology.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
