Hesston High Robotics Team Prepares for VEX World Championship

Kansas high school program aims to build on national success at global competition.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 9:34am

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A bold, abstract painting in soft blues, greens, and grays, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, intersecting waveforms, and precise mechanical spirals, conceptually representing the complex engineering and programming challenges of a high-level robotics competition.Hesston High's robotics team prepares to showcase their technical prowess on the global stage of the VEX Robotics World Championship.Hesston Today

Hesston Robotics, a high school program in Kansas, is preparing to compete in the prestigious VEX Robotics World Championship after a strong performance at the national level. The team, led by an experienced coach and collaborative student environment, is working to refine its robot for the global stage, but faces funding challenges to attend the international event.

Why it matters

Hesston Robotics has established itself as one of the top high school robotics programs in the United States, showcasing the growth of STEM education and the rising competitiveness of robotics competitions. The team's quest for the world championship highlights the technical skills and perseverance of these young students, as well as the need for adequate funding to support their ambitions.

The details

Students within the Hesston Robotics program attribute their success to a collaborative environment and strong leadership from their coach, Trevor Foreman. The technical preparation for these competitions requires significant endurance and iterative development, as the team works to refine its robot to the necessary competitive standard. However, the program faces a financial hurdle regarding the world championship, as the school does not officially recognize the event for funding purposes.

  • Hesston Robotics is currently working to prepare its robot for the VEX Robotics World Championship.
  • The team previously performed well at the national level competitions.

The players

Hesston Robotics

A high school robotics program in Hesston, Kansas that has established itself as one of the top programs in the United States.

Trevor Foreman

The robotics teacher at Hesston High School who provides leadership and guidance to the program.

Time Van Bergeijk

A senior student in the Hesston Robotics program who attributes the team's success to the collaborative environment and strong leadership.

Trestin Schmidt

A junior student in the Hesston Robotics program who notes the significant perseverance and hard work required to prepare a robot for competition.

Isaac Swartzendruber

A senior student in the Hesston Robotics program who expresses the team's ambitions to reach the elimination matches at the VEX Robotics World Championship.

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What they’re saying

“The program benefits from an excellent coach and an excellent program, which fosters an atmosphere where students build and learn from one another.”

— Time Van Bergeijk, Hesston Senior

“The process of getting a robot to the necessary competitive standard requires a lot of perseverance and just a lot of hard work.”

— Trestin Schmidt, Hesston Junior

“I hope the program can reach the elimination matches and push their capabilities as far as possible.”

— Isaac Swartzendruber, Hesston Senior

“The school doesn't recognize worlds, which is fine; they've done their part.”

— Trevor Foreman, Robotics Teacher

What’s next

The Hesston Robotics team is seeking additional funding to cover the costs associated with attending the VEX Robotics World Championship, as the school does not officially recognize the event for funding purposes.

The takeaway

Hesston Robotics' quest for the VEX Robotics World Championship showcases the growing competitiveness and technical sophistication of high school robotics programs, as well as the need for adequate funding and support to allow these students to pursue their ambitions on the global stage.