Macon teens head to worldwide robotics competition

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Macon County teens are headed to Texas to compete in a worldwide robotics competition.

After months of hard work, and winning the Illinois First Tech Challenge Championship Tournament, it all comes down to this.

"I never expected to go to internationals when I started many years ago," Noah Suckow told WAND News.

He's part of the Super Scream Bros, a 4H club. The group is heading to Houston for the First Championship, a youth robotics competition.

"It also means a lot for my team because they're also new and they've haven't gone before, its just crazy," Suckow said.

They will be one of 600 high school teams, from 51 countries, competing for a top spot. But the Super Scream Bros had to do more than just build an awesome robot.

"Reaching out to your community and helping other teams and also doing outreach— so talking to local schools and things like that," Suckow explained.

Students are required to work with their community to spread STEM education.

No matter the outcome at the Championship, students said the 4H club has taught them skills that will serve them in the classroom and beyond.

"Without robotics I feel like I wouldn't know what I want to do later on when I grow up. I plan to go into information systems and without this— without this experience— I would not know where I want to go," Benjamin Suckow told WAND News.

Watch the competition stream here.