January’s Rotary Student of the Month Award goes to talented and altruistic Marcus Francisco.
A 12th grade student at Princess Margaret Secondary School, Francisco was selected by the Rotary Club of Penticton Sunrise for his leadership and achievements in academics, music and robotics.
His academics were the most important part of his recognition, and in grade 11 he finished with the highest average of 96% in both Chemistry 11 and Physics 11. 12th grade first semester st.
Francisco’s pursuit of excellence also extends to music, serving as lead trumpet in both Maggie’s concerts and jazz band. Francisco is also learning the saxophone, at home he plays the piano and loves singing with his friends.
A member of the Penticton Robotics Club since it was formed in grade 9, he has been passionate about the field ever since he got his first kit for Christmas when he was seven years old.
“I was immediately hooked and put it together and took it apart many times until it finally broke,” said Francisco.
It took him three months to create a fully functional Iron Man helmet. This required him learning how to program code, run microcontrollers, weld, and apply his technically demanding 3D modeling skills in CAD (Computer Aided Design).
Robotics Club teacher Joshua Walker Walker still remembers Francisco’s innovation and hard work in helping the club win the top rookie team title at the 2020 Pacific Regional FIRST Robotics Competition.
“Although only a ninth grader, Marcus’ natural desire to learn, problem-solving, and hard work quickly propelled him into leadership roles. The ability to use pistons in industrial-sized robots has been a big factor in our success.
Led by Francisco with his vast experience and honed skills, the Robotics Club prepares for this year’s regional competition in Victoria with the goal of once again on the podium and a ticket to the World Championships in Houston. I’m busy with , Texas in April.
Behind the scenes, as Maggie’s Tech Crew Leader, Francisco leverages his technical skill set and work ethic to oversee the complex audio/visual setups required for school dances, band concerts, and theater performances. I’m here. He also helped organize fundraising efforts for 10,000 Tonight and the Maggie Haunted House. This extensive body of significant background work has earned him the best service award in the last three years.
Given his burning desire to design and build things, Francis could study mechanical or mechatronic engineering (in the field of computer-controlled electromechanical systems) at either Waterloo, UVic, or UBC Okanagan after graduation. ), it is appropriate to plan to advance the study of
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