About Us

The Mechanical Minds was established in 2017 by St. Stephens CTE Technology teacher Andy Owens. When Mr. Owens left to teach at CVCC, Arndt Technology teacher Jason Guptill led the team.  We ran strong until COVID hit in March 2020, and we had to shut down. Years later, new students and mentors looked to start an FRC team at St. Stephen's High School, and so, The Mechanical Minds team was reborn in January 2022, with our current lead mentor, Mrs. Blaire Miller. Starting with the 2023-2024 school year, we invited students from every high school in our county to join since we are the only FRC team in our county. 

Now, in the 2024-2025 year, our team has grown from ten to over thirty members. We have tripled our membership and were fortunate to be on the winning alliance at the 2024 North Carolina District Championship, thus qualifying for the 2024 Worlds Championship in Houston. We hosted THOR West and DOYENNE West (off-season events) in September 2024. Our team has grown tremendously these past few years.

Our team's history is incredibly important to us. Our traditions and our past make us who we are.  We are thankful for how far we've come, we can only thank those who have come before us. Many of our mentors are FIRST Alumni, with one being a previous member of our team. Our team has deep connections to our past and our community.