ROGERS PARK — For the first time in its three-year history, the Chicago Math and Science Academy's robotics team will compete in the world championships next month.
The seven-member RoboTitans are the only team from Chicago competing in the FIRST Tech Challenge championship April 22-25 in St. Louis.
"This is our first year going to worlds. We're not only representing CMSA, but Chicago as a whole," said freshman Roshaan Siddiqui, 15, who has been part of the charter school's team — as a builder, programmer and driver — since seventh grade.
CMSA's team: (l.-r.) Roshaan Siddiqui, Abenezer Mekete, Eric Catalan, Kevin Sherman, Christian Arreola, Gustavo Cruz (not pictured: Lance Velez)
All season, the RoboTitans have been winning big — and finished third in its division.
In the competitions, the teams are tasked with guiding its hand-built robot through different tasks.
Team member Gustavo Cruz, 15, said he found out Sunday his team made it to the final competition of the year.
"It's pretty exciting because it's a step for me to becoming an engineer, which I want to be," Cruz said.
The team will go up against 100 squads from around the country and 28 others from abroad.
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