JICHS Seniors Jackson Turner, John Marshall, Coach Finn, David Moeller, Dillon Wheeler
Reflections from the VEX World Robotics Championship in St. Louis
By Coach Steve Finn | James Irwin Charter High School | April 27, 2026
I’m finally back home after an unforgettable week at the VEX World Robotics Championship in St. Louis. Even after the travel dust has settled, it’s hard to put into words what this experience meant. Walking into a venue filled with over 800 teams from 45 different countries was both humbling and inspiring. Everywhere you turned, students were testing ideas, solving problems, lifting each other up, and chasing something they believed in. Moments like that remind you why robotics—and education—matters.
Our James Irwin Charter High School senior team—Jackson Turner, Dillon Wheeler, John Marshall, and David Moeller—competed against some of the best teams in the world. We finished the tournament with a 5–7 record, placing 63rd out of 87 teams in our division. At the World Championship level, there are no easy matches. Every point is earned, every mistake has consequences, and every success is the result of countless hours of preparation. The scorelines tell part of the story, but they miss the most important parts entirely.
This season marked our third year competing in robotics, but my journey with this team stretches much further back. I have been teaching these students robotics since the 6th grade. I’ve seen their early frustration, their curiosity, and the quiet moments when something finally clicked. I’ve watched them learn to trust themselves, to trust each other, and to keep going when the solution wasn’t obvious. Seeing them stand confidently on the world stage was one of the most rewarding moments of my career.
Throughout the tournament, what impressed me most wasn’t a specific match or a single play—it was how these students responded to pressure. They lost their first 6 matches but they never gave up. They adjusted strategies on the fly, communicated calmly in intense moments, and supported one another when things didn’t go as planned. They won 5 of their last 6 matches. They represented James Irwin Charter High School with integrity, resilience, and heart.
At this level, robotics isn’t about trophies or rankings. It’s about growth. It’s about problem-solving, teamwork, persistence, and learning how to handle adversity with maturity. I am incredibly proud of who these students have become—not just as engineers, but as young men. The skills they’ve developed and the character they’ve shown will carry them far beyond any competition field.
As this chapter comes to a close, I hope this experience stays with them as a reminder of what is possible when hard work, trust, and determination come together. Robotics has been the vehicle, but the destination has always been bigger than banners or scores. Worlds simply made that truth impossible to ignore.
— Coach Finn
