Aarush Reddy Kadira’s Post

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Student at Enloe High School

My final year in VEX IQ Robotics (2023 - 2024) was by far the most challenging but also the most rewarding. After switching teams, I decided to start a new team based out of my house. With all-new members who had never been in robotics before, I had to take on the role of a teacher right from the start. I spent the early part of the season explaining the basics—how to build, program, and approach the design process—while trying to keep our team on track for competition. Unfortunately, the journey was far from smooth. One of our teammates had to leave early in the season due to other commitments, which put more pressure on the remaining two of us. By December, my other teammate also had to step back due to upcoming competitions, leaving me to carry the entire team on my own. Balancing everything—robotics, school, extracurriculars, and preparing for high school—was overwhelming. I pulled all-nighters just to keep our team moving forward, knowing how much this season meant to me as my last year in middle school. Despite all the struggles, there were moments of triumph. At States, I had little hope we’d make it to Nationals given all the setbacks, but when our team was called during the announcements, it was a surreal and emotional moment. At Nationals, I knew we had one last chance to make an impact. I poured everything I had into preparing, and our hard work paid off when we were awarded the CREATE Award—recognizing our team for innovative and creative engineering solutions. That win was a culmination of all the late nights, tough decisions, and sheer determination to keep going. It wasn’t just about the trophy—it was about proving to myself that I could rise above challenges and deliver. Ending my VEX IQ journey on such a high note made all the struggles worth it, and I couldn’t be prouder of what I accomplished. #VEXIQ #Robotics #CREATEAward #Leadership #Resilience #STEM #Nationals

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