I remember what it was like in the very beginning, we had just arrived in Dallas, Texas. Despite being exhausted every single person had excitement sizzling from the roof to the bottom of their body. The primary reason for visiting Dallas was the VEX Robotics Worlds, a highly anticipated event. While competing itself was an achievement, we wanted to win. However, we were not only here to win, but also for the overall experience, enjoyment, and learning opportunities that the competition offered.
Our school was represented by two teams in the competition: VEX V5 - High School and VEX IQ - Middle School. These teams participated in different divisions with distinct game challenges. VEX IQ used plastic as the building material, while VEX V5 required working with metal components that needed to be screwed together.
In the initial stage, Anish, Faye, Nitnem, and myself participated in the VEX V5 - High School Competition. Remarkably, we were among the youngest groups in the competition, as most teams consisted of senior High School students. Despite facing more experienced competitors, we did not give up and tried our best to achieve success but failed to. Nevertheless, we embraced the adventure, acquired new techniques, and had an enjoyable experience along the way.
Following the VEX V5 competition, Ari, Justin and Krit proceeded to the VEX IQ - Middle School Competition. Despite facing challenges with some teammates having less developed robots, they performed splendidly. Unfortunately, due to the lower points accumulated, they did not qualify for further stages. However, their remarkable achievement came in the form of securing 12th place in the VEX IQ Skills competition, a significant feat considering the participation of approximately 800 teams.
Our journey culminated with a visit to MIT, where we spent a day exploring various departments and witnessing groundbreaking inventions. The experience provided us with unique opportunities, including visiting departments like AeroAstro and Economics and Finance, as well as exploring futuristic inventions, like wind tunnels, robots and drones.
Overall, this journey had lots of ups and downs, which taught us essential skills required in life: Problem-Solving or Practical Thinking but mostly how to face failures and get back up stronger. The one word that would represent this adventure perfectly would be “Memorable”!!
Sanyam (10h)
For the last two weeks, two of our VEX teams have been in the US, competing at the VEX World Championships in Dallas.
