While most of us are heading home, these students are constructing and operating their very own robots.

The Robotics Team started three years ago and meets after school every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Career Technology Electives teachers Andrea Wheat and Sylvia Wood sponsor the club.

“They have a chance to build something from scratch and manipulate and program it,” Wood said. “They have something to show for the work they put in.”

Members apply their STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) knowledge to build and modify their robot. The club attends competitions where their robot is to perform the specific task at hand.

“My favorite part is seeing the kids learn how to apply what they have learned in science and math,” Wood said. “Physics, math and gear ratio configure the robot and determine how it is going to move.”

There is $2 billion in scholarship money available to students who participate in these competitions. This year’s challenge is to build a robot that can rescue mountain climbers and grab debris to clear a path.

“I am really hoping I can gain a whole bunch of experience in the way robots work,” junior Devin Cornelius said. “And the grant money that comes with it.”

Cornelius has been in robotics since his freshman year and joined because he thought it would be something cool to do besides football.

“It allows kids like me who love to tinker and build stuff,” Cornelius said “And use their intelligence creatively and it’s a lot of fun.”

Students have been working since September to get their robot just right. The group got to put their robot into action at their first competition at Connally High School, Jan. 16. This is sophomore James Anyabine’s fifth competition and he believes they did pretty well for it being the first of the season.

“We did not qualify,” Anyabine said. “We weren’t as prepared as we hoped to be.”

The team competed again Jan. 30 at Vandegrift High School. For the competitions, students prepare by making sure all their bases are covered in hardware, software and marketing. Drivers practice controlling the robot, the marketing team creates a display for their booth, and others modify the code.

“I want to become more aware of the software because I want to major in computer science,” senior Jacob Pangonas said. “I want to be versatile in both hardware and software.”

Pangonas joined his sophomore year and is now the president of the group. He wanted to do an extracurricular activity and robotics seemed up his alley.

“It’s important because it allows people to not only build a robot but program it,” Pangonas said. “And it allows people to see a different side of a team.”