At the end of the day, there’s no one else I would want to be doing this with.”

Ethan Putman | Robantanists member

Highland Prep’s VEX robotics team, Robotanists, has qualified for the state competition after exceptional performances in the skills round at its first competition of the year.

The Robotanists consist of four seniors: Ethan Putman, Joshua Philip, Elizabeth Pierson and Ethan Zupancich. Founded by Putman and Philip in their freshman year, the team was complete when Pierson and Zupancich joined in their sophomore year.

Pierson serves as the team’s coder, Zupancich takes charge of building, Philip handles design and assistance in building and Putman excels as the driver.

The team is now focused on the state competition, scheduled to take place March 7 and 8 at Desert Ridge High School.

With their sights set on the next level, the Robotanists are eager to take on the best teams in the state and secure a spot at the VEX Robotics World Championship.

The are hoping to qualify for worlds in Dallas.

The Robotanists attribute their success to their well-honed teamwork, which stems from a deep understanding of each member’s strengths.

“We’ve learned to play to each other’s strengths,” Zupancich said. “In younger teams, you often see people stepping on each other’s toes, but after three years together, we’ve developed a seamless workflow. We trust each other to do our jobs and support each other as needed.”

As they approach the final stretch of their high school robotics journey, the team is thrilled to be sharing this experience with their closest friends.

“At the end of the day, there’s no one else I would want to be doing this with,” Putman said. “It’s amazing to be finishing off my high school robotics experience, with not only people I consider great teammates, but my best friends.”

Highland Prep is a STEM-focused college-preparatory high school located at 15600 W. Hearn Road.

For information, contact the school office at 623-300-8385.