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<\/p>\nAt Patrick Henry High School on Monday, a robot launched yellow, grapefruit-sized foam balls into the air. The school\u2019s robotics team built it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I joined, I never looked back. Best decision of my life,\u201d said senior Ruby Aguilera. \u201cAnd now I feel like I really do make an impact on the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aguilera manufactured the robot\u2019s parts. She\u2019s part of a sub-team that takes the designers\u2019 sketches and uses industrial machinery to make the parts, assemble the robot and wire it. She also taught a group of freshmen and other new team members how to repair and operate it.<\/p>\n
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The Patrick Henry High School robotics team’s robot launches foam balls in the quad on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I like about robotics is the people,\u201d she said. \u201cI like being around people who just like learning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aguilera is part of the engineering track at Patrick Henry. It\u2019s one of several college, career and technical education pathways<\/a> in the district. Other options include graphic design, patient care, architecture and child development.<\/p>\n The San Diego Unified School District wants more high schoolers to enroll in those pathways. It can help students narrow down what they might like to do after graduation, said Kerri Rose, who oversees Patrick Henry\u2019s CCTE program.<\/p>\n \u201cIf a student were to start a course their freshman year and realize it’s not for them, they don’t have to continue,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s really an opportunity to explore.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a way to find a community. Patrick Henry is the district\u2019s largest high school, with 2,600 students, according to the district. Students stay together as they complete their pathway courses, Rose said.<\/p>\n \u201cKeeping school exciting, engaging and a place where you want to go each day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n