Our Story and Mission
In April 2015, two engineers from Analog Devices approached Dracut High School to explore the possibility of starting an FRC team as part of the school’s Robotics Club. Despite initial hopes and months of effort from many people, the school was, unfortunately, unable to support a FRC team.
Undeterred, 5 students and 4 mentors opened Team 5962 to anyone from the area, rather than only students at a single high school. We approached the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and the College of Engineering graciously offered the use of its Makerspace.
We broadened our recruiting efforts, and by kickoff day our rookie season, our team included 33 students from 8 towns and 8 schools, 12 mentors, and more than 30 sponsors. Since then, we’ve competed at local district and off-season events, New England District Championships, and the FIRST Championship in Detroit.
Our mission is to foster a vibrant, fun, and collaborative environment that inspires students to explore STEM, solve problems, and develop 21st century skills. We’ve earned the Chairman’s Award at the district and regional level for our dedication to spreading FIRST in our communities.
With our parent organization, Merrimack Valley Robotics, we extend that mission to students K-12 in northeastern Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, and beyond. For more information about our parent organization Merrimack Valley Robotics, please visit mvrobtics.net
Our Home
We meet at the UMass Lowell Makerspace (Falmouth 102) a few times a week. This space is graciously offered to us by the Francis College of Engineering. We have access to 3D printers, laser cutters, power tools, laptops, mills, and CNCs.
Our Students
We have students from many different towns and schools from the Merrimack valley and Southern New Hampshire. We have students in both high school and middle school. They are all trained in both technical and non-technical skills including CAD, electronics, programming and business skills.
Arohan '26
Captain
Littleton High School
Mihika '28
Captain
Westford Academy
Kfir '28
Captain
Bedford High School
Pranav '28
Littleton High School
Dashiell '26
Lowell High School
Pranshu '27
Littleton High School
Tamara '29
Lowell High School
Corvid '26
Innovation Academy Charter School
Matteo '29
North Andover High School
Archit '28
Westford Academy
Ava '26
Homeschooled
Devansh '29
Littleton High School
Kaan '30
Innovation Academy Charter School
Lara '30
Innovation Academy Charter School
Ezana '30
RJ Grey Junior High School
Nahom '27
Acton Boxborough Regional High School
Callan '28
Bedford High School
Andre '26
Innovation Academy Charter School
Alden '28
Chelmsford High School
Parker '30
Richardson Middle School
Maxwell '28
Dracut High School
Charles '32
North Andover Middle School
Danhy '27
Reading Memorial High School
Oliver '27
Greater Lowell Technical High School
Zoe '30
Innovation Academy Charter School
Nate '31
Roger STEM Academy
Adrian '30
Innovation Academy Charter School
Sri '30
Innovation Academy Charter School
Sophie '28
Westford Academy
Leaphea '26
Lowell High School
Jayden '26
Somerville High School
Our Adult Coaches
Team Coaches work for businesses in the area, are parents of team members, and are students at UMass Lowell, where the team meets. The Coaches are all volunteers, offering hundreds of hours (or more) of service each year to help the team out.
Mark Hanania
Mechanical Coach
Student at UMass Lowell
FRC 4761 Alumnus
Isabella Manago
Mechanical Coach
UMass Lowell Alumnus
Mike Johnston
Lead Coach
UMass Lowell Alumnus
President of Merrimack Valley Robotics, Inc.
David LeMasurier
Lead Coach
Software Coach
UMass Lowell Alumnus
Greg LeMasurier
Software Coach
Student at UMass Lowell
FRC 5962 Alumnus
Our Adult Volunteers
Adult Volunteers help the students on the team advance their knowledge on what topics we utilize while working, such as: mechanics, electrical, coding, CAD, business, community outreach, and many more. The Adult Volunteers are here to guide the students, and share their knowledge with everybody.
Arpita Pathak
Tuan Nguyen
Abiche Dewilde
UMass Lowell Alumnus
Berk Akinci
Electrical & Mechanical Mentor
UMass Lowell Alumnus