Twenty-nine high school robotics teams gathered at Plymouth State University on October 19, 2024, for the 7th Annual Governor’s Cup, an off-season event that has become a hotly contested competition for FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams preparing for the official season. Teams from across New Hampshire compete for awards and scholarships based on robot performance and specific judged elements.
The Community College System of NH (CCSNH) supported this year’s competition with one-semester tuition waivers to seniors on the winning teams and $2,000 individual scholarships for students nominated by their adult mentors.
“New Hampshire’s community colleges offer exceptional science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs that prepare students for careers that harness their passion for robotics. We are pleased to participate in the Governor’s Cup to provide an affordable launch pad for the talented New Hampshire students who are competing and anticipating the next stage in their education,” said Shannon Reid, Executive Director of Government Affairs and Communications at CCSNH.
The Governor’s Cup began in 2018 in cooperation with Governor Chris Sununu’s administration. Initially a full-day robotics exhibition, it has grown to become an elite competition drawing more than 300 high school students and 65 volunteers from around New Hampshire to this year’s event.
The 2024 Governor’s Cup competitors completed a challenge called CRESCENDO, presented by Haas, where two competing alliances are invited to score notes, amplify their speakers, harmonize onstage, and take the spotlight before time runs out. Alliances earn additional points for meeting specific scoring thresholds and for cooperating with their opponents.
Three teams, one from each of the northern, southern, and central regions of the state, were honored with the Governor’s Award. Teams were chosen based on their enthusiasm for STEM, team dynamics, relationship with schools and sponsors, and overall competition performance. Graduating seniors from each team received vouchers for one semester of free tuition to any University System of New Hampshire (USNH) or Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) institution. A total of eighteen scholarships were awarded to seniors on the following winning teams:
- Team 8046: Lakerbots, Inter-Lakes High School
- Team 1721: Tidal Force, Concord High School
- Team 166: Chop Shop, Merrimack High School
In addition, six high school seniors were awarded $2,000 individual scholarships to attend any USNH or CCSNH institution. Students were nominated by adult mentors, and a portion of the scholarships was underwritten by Eversource, BAE Systems, and Fidelity Investments. The 2024 scholarship recipients were:
- Maya More, Team 8410: Overdrive, Durham
- Makena Columb, Team 151: Nashua Tough Techs, Nashua
- Gavin Costa, Team 501: The Powerknights, Manchester High School West, and Goffstown High School
- Ryan Burbo, Team 3467: Windham Windup, Windham High School
- Leland Borque, Team 8708: 0v3R1y K0Mp13X, Dunbarton
- Nathan Delhanty, Team 151: Nashua Tough Techs, Nashua
We congratulate the winning teams and individuals and look forward to welcoming graduating seniors to CCSNH!
