My vex robotics journey

“Was I not good enough?” I silently asked myself

The feeling of exclusion can be demoralizing, especially in public. In seventh grade, I wanted to join my friend's VEX Robotics team to pursue my passion for engineering. Arrogantly, I asked my friends if I could join, ignorant of the impending doom. The shocking decline was not only humbling but also taught me resilience. I felt trapped in a loop of negative thoughts but determined to create my team after my dad's inspirational talk on bouncing back.

I first emailed everybody in my class to see who was interested. I quickly understood that no seventh grader is interested in robotics, but by emailing their parents, I was able to find results. Countless individuals signed up, but I took the cream of the cream to ensure a robust robot. Finding a coach was a challenging hurdle, as no teacher or parent was available. Fortunately, my grandpa stepped in as our guardian, but with no robotics background, my group and I were left to our own devices. We utilized Youtubers such as Ben Lipper and Glen the Great to create a robust design for our robot.

On competition day, my group and I nervously entered the room and turned on our robot. Unexpectedly, the group who rejected me was present and eager to compete. My grandpa taught us strategies such as breathing techniques to help us cope with the pressure. From beating the opposing group to having tremendous fun, I would do VEX Robotics again.