The Highland Prep West VEX Robotics Team is diligently preparing for their inaugural tournaments of the competition season. With a fresh influx of talented freshmen, the team is buzzing with enthusiasm. Natalia Diaz, a freshman member, expressed her excitement, saying, "I have really enjoyed learning something new. I want to be an engineer when I grow up, so this is helping me for my career." Fellow freshman Rey Caleb Ubina echoed his sentiments, adding, "Uncovering different problems and solving them is the best part. It's super cool to realize we can accomplish things like this."
As the competition draws near, the team is fine-tuning their robots, perfecting every detail, and refining their code. After-school meetings have been filled with intense building and testing sessions. This year's challenge, "High Stakes," presents a unique game scenario where teams score points by placing plastic rings onto 1-inch PVC pipes called stakes. Michael Sullivan, a junior member, is leading innovative enhancements, integrating pneumatics and a conveyor belt intake to streamline ring placement onto the stakes. With dedication and perseverance, the Highland Prep West VEX Robotics Team is poised to make a strong debut in their first tournaments.