Rookie Robotics Team from HSI-Dallas Advances to Regionals with Top Honor

[DALLAS] -- In just their first season of competition, the Harmony School of Innovation-Dallas Tiger Tronics Robotics Team has turned a rookie year into a championship run.

Team 32561 captured the prestigious Inspire Award, the highest honor in the FIRST Tech Challenge competition, at the D League Tournament held Feb. 7 at Cowart Elementary. The award secured the team a coveted advancement to the Regional Championship, set for Feb. 28 at Marcus High School in Flower Mound.

In addition to the Inspire Award, Tiger Tronics earned the Finalist Alliance Trophy after advancing to the finals and finishing second in league standings across three meets. For an 11-member rookie team, the accomplishment marks a historic debut season.

The Inspire Award recognizes excellence in robot design, engineering documentation, outreach, teamwork and professionalism. Judges select the recipient as the team that best embodies the spirit of FIRST Tech Challenge and serves as a model for others in the program.

“This competition was not just about winning,” said Team Captain Wadood Ur Rahman Mohammed. “It was about proving that preparation, teamwork and belief can turn a rookie team into champions.”

Team Captain Wadood Ur Rahman Mohammed, a robotics veteran who serves as the team’s primary programmer and driver, led development of the robot’s autonomous systems and competitive strategy. Co-Captain and Lead CAD Designer Gafoor Khan oversaw multiple robot iterations, while Outreach Lead Aramide JJ Ajayi guided the team’s judging presentations that contributed to earning the Inspire Award.

The team is coached by Mrs. Nishat Farooqui, a physics and math teacher and instructional coach at Harmony School of Innovation-Dallas.

“This team has shown tremendous potential and is well-positioned to continue advancing in upcoming competitions,” Farooqui said.

All 11 members of the team contributed across engineering design, programming, research, scouting and portfolio development, combining their talents to produce a championship-level rookie season.

For these students, robotics has meant late practices, problem-solving under pressure and learning to adapt when things do not go as planned. Those experiences are helping them build confidence, collaboration skills and real-world STEM knowledge that extends far beyond competition day.

At Harmony Public Schools-North Texas, robotics is one of many ways the district brings its STEM-focused mission to life. Students are empowered to design, build and compete at high levels while developing character, resilience and teamwork.

Tiger Tronics now heads to Regionals with momentum and confidence, carrying the mindset of a team that refuses to be underestimated.

Harmony Public Schools is a Texas-born, Texas-wide public charter school system with more than 60 campuses serving PreK-Grade 12 students in 23 cities across the state, including Greater Houston, DFW, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Waco, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, Bryan, Beaumont, and the Rio Grande Valley. Harmony’s curriculum places a heavy focus on STEM skills, Character Education, project-based learning, and college readiness.

Harmony Public Schools is currently accepting applications for the 2025-2026 school year for both students and team members.