Build, program, and learn to drive a 120-pound robot that can shoot, catch, and pass a two foot in diameter exercise ball.

That’s what fifty-nine high school teams from around the world tried to do at a robotics tournament March 6 through 8 in San Diego.

They had only six weeks to accomplish this goal.

A team based out of Irvine, CA, Code Orange 3476, competed at the San Diego Regional. Three students from their team attend SJHHS. In total, students from this team come from 18 different schools.

A program that encourages kids to pursue a career in engineering, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology), has four branches. FLL and Jr. FLL–First Lego League for middle and elementary school children who build small robots with Legos. FTC–First Tech Challenge for high school students who build smaller robots.

FRC– First Robotics Challenge: this is by far the most intense and extreme branch of FIRST.

FRC students learn a variety of skills. From TIG Welding, to being able to classify different kinds of bolts, to grant-writing, to working as a team- this program really has a lot to offer. Pauline Tasci, member of FRC Team 696 says, “I cannot begin to explain how much FIRST has changed the way I look at the world.”

In addition to entering their robot in the competition, they also competed in the Regional Chairmans Award, the most prestigious award offered at FIRST. Code Orange won this award due to their outreach, sustainability, and how they set a model for other teams.

Code Orange overall seeded second out of the fifty-nine teams at the regional. They are looking to improve their ranking at their next regional, in Las Vegas, by working on their robot and practicing driving it every day leading up to Vegas.

The Chairmans award is an extremely honorable award, so Code Orange is invited to compete in the world championship in St. Louis, Missouri this April. The team is currently working hard to not only improve their robot for their upcoming competitions, but also on raising money so they can compete at championships.

Encouraging students to pursue careers in engineering, opening a variety of opportunities to a diverse range of students, FIRST and teams like Code Orange have changed the paths of students across the world. Alumni and current mentor of Code Orange, Hunter Hatch says, “I don’t know what I would be without Code Orange, but I now know what I’m going to be because of it.”