1. The problem asks for the range of a parabola that opens upwards with vertex at approximately $(2,1)$. 2. The vertex form of a parabola is given by $$y = a(x-h)^2 + k$$ where $(h,k)$ is the vertex. Here, $h=2$ and $k=1$. 3. Since the parabola opens upwards, the coefficient $a > 0$, so the vertex represents the minimum point on the graph. 4. The lowest value of $y$ is at the vertex, which is $y=1$. The parabola extends upwards to infinity. 5. Therefore, the range of the function is all $y$ values such that $$y \geq 1$$. 6. In interval notation, the range is $$[1, \infty)$$.