Students at Mesa's Westwood High School are gearing up for a big robotics competition, and some of the teens say they never knew they had a passion for engineering or high-tech learning until they joined the club.
The robotics program is part of the school's STEM program, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
"I never thought I would be even into engineering," said junior Jill Barcena. "If I hadn't joined robotics, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to grow in this way."
The students design and build their own robots. They learn about problem solving, creativity, teamwork and getting prepared for big tech jobs.
"We can get certificates that are certifying us to work in places like Intel and Boeing," said junior Nic Peters.
The program already has big name sponsors like Boeing and Cox Communications. The instructor says it's a great program because there is no one right answer to a problem. The kids work in all kinds of ways to solve problems.
"I think the kids you see in here are the kids you are going to see in the workforce and kids who the economy is going to be built on in the future," said robotics instructor Tom Saxon.
