Documentary tells story of Phoenix high school students who went up against MIT
Jul 19, 2014, 2:55 PM | Updated: Aug 3, 2014, 6:51 pm
A new documentary about former Carl Hayden High School students premiered Friday at the AMC Theatres at the Arizona Center.
ASU News reports “Underwater Dreams” has already had premieres in Los Angeles and New York City before coming to Phoenix this weekend.
The documentary looks at a group of 2004 Carl Hayden students who beat out the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other colleges to win a national robotics competition.
Arizona State alumnus Oscar Vasquez was part of the winning group. ASU News said Vazquez later joined the U.S. Army and became a paratrooper, serving in Afghanistan for 10 months. He and his wife now live at Fort Richardson in Alaska with their two children.
Vazquez’ story is one of perseverance and achievement. “Underwater Dreams” revisits that story, highlighting how he and his classmates forged a legacy that continues to inspire students to this day.
Other notable Carl Hayden High School students who went on to achieve great things at ASU include: Angelica Hernandez, recent valedictorian of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering; Ingrid Tay, a mechanical engineering graduate currently working for Microchip Technology Inc in Chandler, Arizona; and Mabel Munoz, a recent biomedical engineering graduate.
Actor Michael Pena of “Shooter” and “Cesar Chavez” fame narrates the robotics competition documentary, which is directed by Mary Mazzio.
