Robotics is one of the largest and fastest-growing STEM fields, amassing billions annually. Students at Calabasas High are given the opportunity to break into and experiment in this field firsthand through its robotics class and club.
Mr. Yeung, the program’s mentor and teacher, says “I’m mentoring people to inspire them or encourage them to take an engineering path. I’m also a coach for the robotics team, so I’m also mentoring students in building a robot and doing competitions.”
The team has competed on a regional and national level and qualified for the world championship multiple times.
“We made it to worlds, so we had to travel to Dallas to compete with all high schools across the world,” said Yeung.
Beyond competition, the program helps prepare students for life after high school by fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills that extend beyond STEM, which they can carry into adulthood.
“We have a lot of kids [who] want to be [engineers]. So these skills transfer over because they learn the basic fundamentals of engineering, so then they can translate that into a real world job where they can critically think and apply a lot of these, a lot of this past knowledge.”
The program can also teach incredibly valuable lessons.
Janna Juridah, the team’s main captain, says, “Robotics has taught me a lot of patience. Especially when it comes to building our robot and stuff. It can be frustrating, and you start with very little, so being patient, trusting the process, and working to make your team and yourself better.”
Mr. Yeung has learned similar things.
“A lot of this is patience. Engineering’s not an easy task or an easy subject to learn. So learn that you have to give it a little patience to succeed,” said Yeung.
With all the hope this program provides, struggles and hardships are also faced. Robotics is a heavily male-dominated field with women oftentimes only making up around 20-30 percent of the competition. Juridah has definitely had to overcome this as part of her journey.
“In the past years, being a woman in a male-dominated field, like robotics, I felt like some conflicts I personally ran into were not being able to get as [big a] role in certain areas. I managed this by taking a stand for myself, and that ultimately pushed me to have my role as captain,” said Juridah.
Students and teachers in this program have made memories that will last a lifetime.
“I got to see a lot of students find their dream jobs at Disney, Northover, Grumman, working for the military, and stuff like that. So there’s a lot of good memories out there to see these kids succeed,” said Yeung.
The program remains an open and immersive space that welcomes all interested students.
“I would say give it a try. You know, you gotta keep an open mind to do engineering. Everyone has a stigma that engineering is hard. But just keep an open mind, and you never know that you might actually enjoy it, and there might be something for you there,” said Yeung.
“Don’t be shy, come to the club, join, and maybe even do the class, because that’s also really fun, but just start [with] baby steps. I barely knew a thing when I came on my 1st day, and I just built my way up and learned, and now I’m here,” adds Juridah.
The robotics program at CHS is more than simply gears and code. It gives students a place to explore engineering, develop life skills, and challenge themselves academically and personally. From competing on the world stage to overcoming obstacles and stereotypes, students leave the program with experiences that shape their futures.
