BASIS San Antonio Shavano junior, Ellen D., was recently named a FIRST Leadership Award Finalist at the 2026 FIRST® Robotics Championship. Ellen is one of a select few students named a FIRST Leadership Finalist, an honor that recognizes her leadership, commitment to her team, and contributions to her community. This distinction celebrates student leaders who have elevated awareness of FIRST and its mission through their impact on both their teams and broader communities. FIRST aims for these individuals to continue as leaders, alumni, and advocates long after the award.
The FIRST® Robotics Championship is comprised of over 300 robotics teams from all over the world who not only build incredible robots but also discuss ways to incorporate STEM into the local community through sustainability movements. Ellen is passionate about spreading STEM and robotics to younger students and regularly hosts clinics for kids at BASIS Texas Charter Schools’ primary campuses in San Antonio. According to Ellen, since the robotics program launched in 2020, participation by girls at BASIS San Antonio Shavano has increased by approximately 30 percent.
“We’re an all-girls team in a predominantly male dominated field and it’s important for us to show the younger kids that this is something they can do and it’s pretty cool,” says Ellen.
As she enters her senior year, Ellen and her team are ready to tackle the FIRST® Championship this summer and continue to expand their community outreach. The ongoing support from within the team and sponsors helps keep their motivation strong.
“We get the academic prep from BASIS so early on because we have such an accelerated program which means that most of the team has already taken at least three years of AP Physics which lays the foundation for being successful in robotics,” says Ellen.
Congratulations to Ellen on this incredible achievement and we wish the BASIS Shavano Robotics team a successful 2026-2027 season!
