California’s Cabrillo High School flies high at drone soccer nationals

Community News

Los Angeles, California, Foundation 
Students standing with trophy
  • Cabrillo High School's drone soccer teams won first place at the 2024 U.S. Drone Soccer National Championship.
  • Marathon Petroleum played a part by supporting financially and with employee involvement, which greatly enhanced Cabrillo's STEM programs and enabled the purchase of drones and an arena.
  • Marathon Petroleum's ongoing partnership has provided resources and inspired students, demonstrating the positive impact of corporate-community collaboration in education.

Cabrillo High School in Long Beach, California, is soaring to new heights after both the boys' and girls' drone soccer teams clinched victories at the 2024 United States Drone Soccer National Championship. These high-flying Jaguars now make up the 2024 U.S. Drone Soccer National Team. Drone soccer is an air sport that teaches students to build, code, fly, and play with drones as a team.

Students standing with trophy
Both the boys' and girls' drone soccer teams from Cabrillo High School were crowned national champions at the 2024 U.S. Drone Soccer National Championship in April at Virginia Tech University.

Marathon Petroleum’s Los Angeles refinery has been a huge fan and major supporter of Cabrillo High School's Engineering and Design (CED) program, investing about $300,000 over the past decade. This funding has helped kickstart initiatives like the drone soccer teams and the Women in STEM luncheon, which encourages young women to dive into STEM careers. Cabrillo High School bought six drones and an arena for practice with a workforce development grant from Marathon Petroleum.

One of the key players and biggest team motivators, Valerie Soto, is an alum of the refinery's summer youth program, which highlights the deep-rooted connection between the refinery and the school. Acting as the one-person pit crew, Soto prepared the drones for the event, ensuring they had new propellers, accurate coding and fully charged batteries. 

“The grant from Marathon Petroleum’s Los Angeles refinery helped us kick off our drone soccer program,” said Cabrillo High School Engineering Teacher Ken Fisher. “Thanks to their support, our students are learning that with hard work and commitment, they can achieve anything.”

“The dedication of the Flying Jags is truly inspiring, and it’s what convinced us to invest in the program from the beginning.” 

Fisher, who represents Cabrillo High School on the Los Angeles refinery Community Advisory Panel, highlights the strong bond between the refinery and the school. Recently, Michelle Wilson, an Advanced Senior Analyst at Marathon Petroleum, joined Cabrillo High School’s advisory board, further boosting the partnership.

“The dedication of the Flying Jags is truly inspiring, and it’s what convinced us to invest in the program from the beginning,” said Advanced Senior CSR & Community Relations Representative at the Los Angeles refinery Olga Chavez. “Winning or losing isn't what truly matters; it's the invaluable experiences, teamwork, and personal growth these students gain.”

The Los Angeles refinery is proud to support the team’s talented students, contribute to their outstanding achievements, and pave the way for these future STEM leaders.

Students at a drone soccer field
The Cabrillo High School boys' team during the national championship competition at Virginia Tech University in April.