Good Vibes Only: Borderland trio takes on robotics world championships in St. Louis
Rosemary Garcia
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)—Three Tierra Del Sol Elementary School students returned to El Paso with unforgettable memories following a robotics competition. The Borderland students visited St. Louis, Missouri, as part of the 2026 VEX Robotics World Championship.
The event took place the last week of April. It featured thousands of teams from over 50 countries, playing in over 1,300 tournaments, according to Vex Robotics.
The Tierra Del Sol Cyber Knights made it to the world competition after advancing through local and regional competitions.
Coach Patty Hernandez told ABC-7 that this year’s robotics team at Tierra Del Sol accomplished something that had never been done before in the school’s history. She said that although previous teams had come close, this was the first time students at Tierra Del Sol advanced to the world championship.
“We’ve been working really hard. Every group I get, we’ve gotten so close, and this time we finally did it!”
ABC-7 spoke with the Cyber Knights before their big trip to Missouri. Each one was meticulously preparing and creating new strategies. The after-school team was tasked with building a robot and perfecting their game plan.
Caleb Aranda, a fifth grader at Tierra Del Sol, said it was a rewarding moment when they learned they had made it to the world championship.
I completed a dream,” Caleb said with a smile on his face.
The trio explained they were feeling anxious but overall eager to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They were excited to meet new people from other cultures and backgrounds and explore the city of St. Louis.
“It felt really good because I’ve been wanting to go to worlds a lot, so I was just really happy,” Caleb said.
“My first time. Very exciting side to me. Like new cultures and people’s. Also, it’s gonna be a fun experience. And also, I’m glad to, like, see, like, the arch and, like, new restaurants that I haven’t seen yet,” another robotics student, Omar Teran, explained.
Coach Hernandez said each student brings something valuable to the group. She described Omar as hardworking, Caleb as outgoing, and Mari as dedicated and the calming voice of the group.
Mari is the only female in this group. She said she enjoys working as a team and appreciates the skills she has learned in robotics. She was anxious to be traveling to Missouri without her parents but was excited to experience something new!
In Missouri, the Cyber Knights participated in different tournaments. They Cyber Knights teamed up with other students from other regions, including Shanghai, Hong Kong, North Dakota, Colorado, and many more.
While the team did not place, their instructor still described it as an amazing experience!
“We’re very proud to be there and excited because you are representing El Paso, you know, and the small city here in Texas, and we’re out there representing them, so it’s exciting for us,” Hernandez said.
The students said they look forward to learning more about robotics in the future.