During the week of April 13, Marlborough Robotics team Curiosity attended the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Championship for the third consecutive year.
At the tournament, Curiosity secured the first place Inspire Award, the top award in their division, which is dedicated each year to a team that acts as a gracious competitor, creates a collaborative team environment and shows success with their robot.
Not only did the entire Curiosity team triumph at world championships, but team member Zarah ’26 was the first-ever Marlborough student winner of the Dean’s List Award.
The nomination process begins in December for the Dean’s List award. Every robotics team that has sophomores and juniors in high school is given the opportunity to nominate two students who will be semi-finalists for the award. The students write an essay explaining why they are a good fit for the award. Then, the nominated students participate in an interview with the judges.
“They asked me questions about my involvement in robotics, community outreach and activism,” Zarah said. “They’re really interested in what you’ve done to make STEM more accessible and available in your community because it comes down to an advocacy and leadership award.”
Next, the judges decide on 140 finalists by the regional tournaments, and of that, 20 winners are chosen. This includes 10 winners from the First Tech Challenge and 10 from the First Robotics Challenge, two FIRST divisions.
As one of the 20 winners, Zarah was presented with the award at the World Championships tournament and celebrated with a luncheon that included all previous winners, distinguished speakers and FIRST founder Dean Kamen.
Zarah’s journey to the Dean’s List involved dedication to community outreach and ambassadorship. With other Curiosity members, Zarah works with the Boys & Girls Club, a family center in Mar Vista and surrounding elementary schools, teaching kids about STEM and robotics.
Zarah is the ambassador for Neurodivergent FIRST and POC FIRST, which help create a home for neurodivergent students and students of color in robotics. This involves setting up sensory safe rooms at competitions, creating a place for dialogue if someone feels harmed on the basis of their identity and mentoring younger students. The process is ultimately rewarding for ambassadors, as it provides them with opportunities to share their skills.
“There is a culture of activism that comes with the award,” Zarah said. “Everyone who’s done it is really passionate about expanding STEM access, working with young kids and teaching, so it is amazing to be counted among them.”
