The Fighting Unicorns’ success is built on the student leadership and team structure. Each of the six subteams (Electrical, Programming, Fabrication, Public Relations, Business, and Design) are headed by team veterans specializing in their respective field, and all are overseen by the team captain. During pre-season meetings, we introduce new unicorns to the team, teach robot and soft-skill basics, and encourage individualized interest-based exploration. This approach allows us to cast a wide net of interest school-wide, where each unicorn can find a comfortable place to belong. Additionally, our mentor team consists of one faculty administrator, three full-time technical mentors, and two part-time technical mentors. This season our mentors were especially crucial to identifying knowledge deficits and teaching basic skills, from Java basics to using allen keys and Onshape CAD. By putting routines into practice and creating exposure for new members on the team, we head into the build season with a strong foundation.Â
