The FRC team at Lincoln High School, Team 9452, The Steel Stingers, began with a simple question from a student asking whether the school had a robotics team. At the time, it didn’t, but that question sparked the creation of a program dedicated to expanding STEM opportunities for students in Southeast San Diego. From the start, the goal was to build a strong engineering culture at a Title I school and provide students access to the same high-level experiences found in established robotics programs.

Before joining the FIRST Robotics Competition, the team spent two seasons competing in VEX Robotics to develop skills in design, programming, manufacturing, and teamwork. Student leaders also trained with experienced teams over the summer and sought mentorship from some of San Diego’s most respected FRC programs, learning best practices and building connections within the robotics community.

That preparation quickly paid off. During their rookie FRC season, The Steel Stingers earned both the Rookie Inspiration Award and Rookie All-Star Award, secured a blue banner, and advanced to the FIRST World Championship. Today, the team continues to grow as a competitive robotics program focused on innovation, resilience, and expanding STEM access, proving how far determination, mentorship, and opportunity can take students.