CLARKSTON >> Two Clarkston High School students experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when they met and shook President Barack Obama’s hand at the White House..
Courtney Hughes, 16, a junior from Ortonville, and Matt Pasco, 17, a graduating senior from Clarkston, represented the school robotics squad, Team RUSH.
“The fact that the kids got to do that was amazing,” said Kyle Hughes, a math and technology teacher and Team RUSH coach. “Courtney was excited, because she got to pet the president’s dog.”
Courtney Hughes is Kyle Hughes daughter and one of the team captains; Pasco is the team’s lead programmer.
Team RUSH, which stands for Respect, Unity, Spirit and Heart, won 11 awards this year among five competitions in the Michigan FIRST robotics league including a win in the state championships in April. Through the national program FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), students design and develop remote-controlled robots that battle each other in an arena setting. The Clarkston team advanced to the World Championships in St. Louis, Mo., and finished in the top eight in the world in the district’s division, Hughes said.
But the reason Clarkston students visited the White House is because the group won the Chairman’s Award at the world contest that recognizes the best role model team: how the students work within the community, how they impact Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics curriculum and promote awareness of STEM careers.
“You’re basically the role model team FIRST wants to emulate,” Hughes said.
Clarkston High School received the call about the Washington D.C. trip a couple weeks ago and did not know until the last minute whether they would be able to go. Along with Kyle Hughes and team volunteer Steve Hyer, the students left Sunday, May 25, prepared their robot for a presentation at the White House on Monday and attended the science fair on Tuesday before driving home.
Besides the robotics program, there were other science fair winners there from across the country. Along with the presidential visit, the students toured the White House, conducted an interview with Discovery Channel and met celebrities such as Bill Nye the Science Guy.
“The students did a fantastic job representing Clarkston High School, representing Team RUSH and representing FIRST robotics,” Hughes said.
Thirty-five ninth- through 12th-grade Clarkston High School students make up Team RUSH.
