After winning a series of regional robotic competitions and raising $9,080, Moorpark College’s Engineering Club is now on its way to the World Championship to compete against teams from China, Mexico and New Zealand.

This year’s Vex U World Championship is set for April 15-18 in Kentucky.

Dr. Scarlett Relle, engineering instructor and student advisor to the club, is proud that she can be more than just a teacher to her students by giving them the opportunity to experience the World Championship.

“In my professional career, that was the most exciting and best experience I have ever had,” said Relle.

The club has won a series of regional competitions in order to qualify for the World Championship, including one at California State University, Northridge on Jan. 24. They also scored 13th out of 60 in last year’s Vex U World Championship in Anaheim.

The club raised $9,080 to send five students and advisor Donald Munshower to the World Championship this year. A sixth student will pay his own way. The money was attained from Associated Students as well as a $500 donation from Dr. Clint Harper, the former department chair of astronomy, physics and engineering.

Dylan Slater, the secretary of the Engineering Club, said all this money puts a lot of pressure on Moorpark College to perform well.

“It is definitely a positive feeling, but also nerve-wracking because the school has invested a lot into us,” said Slater.

The Engineering Club will bring two robots to the competition, a small robot named The Undertaker and a large robot named John Cena. Each robot has a specific role. Students are currently working on improving and repairing their robots.

Every year, the Vex U World Championship changes the rules of the competition. Last year, teams were required to program their robots to place large balls in cylindrical containers. This year, teams are expected to stack blocks on top of each other. For the first 45 seconds of every round, robots must be programmed to perform autonomously. The actual match only lasts about 2 minutes.

Bradley Sturgeon, the treasurer of the club, said the changing of the rules is an important feature of the competition.

“Half of the point of an engineer is to come up with a design to solve a problem,” said Sturgeon.

The award for earning first place at the World Championship is a trophy as well as world-wide recognition. Slater said he wants to give Moorpark College a positive reputation from this competition.

“There is a kind of apathetic stigma about Moorpark and people need to know we are known for something bigger,” said Slater.