Victoria student robotics team fundraising for trip to world championships in Texas

A team of Victoria high schoolers has built a robot capable of taking them all the way to Texas for a shot at a world robotics championship.

The only thing holding the team back is the cost of getting there.

In early March, Reynolds Secondary School took home first place at the FIRST Robotics Canada competition in Surrey, B.C.

"It was ridiculously close," said team member Brianna Davis.

"Everybody was jumping up and down," added teammate Sarah Masse.

"Several pairs of safety glasses, like three or four, just snapped and went flying," said team member Nick Bernhardt.

But the victory in the Canadian regional competition was also the moment that the team realized their hard work was far from over.

"We have bigger competitors to face," said Masse. "Just trying to make [the robot] better, better, better."

The team also needs to afford to get to the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship in Texas.

"A little bit later it sets in," said Masse. "We have to be able to afford to go to worlds."

With 22 students and three mentors on the team, the Reybots need to raise about $40,000 for the trip.

They're calling on the community for support to help them cash in on the invaluable experience.

"When we come back, we'll have so many more skills and experience that we can then share with others and grow the community and share the knowledge," said Bernhardt.

Along with scoring some big points at the world championships, the Reybots also hope to raise awareness for their school and the program that has given them so much.

"Robotics has really brought me into the world of engineering and it's really helped me kind of find my happy place here," said Davis.

With just a few weeks to go, the Reybots have been seeking corporate sponsors, have launched a GoFundMe campaign, and will host a bottle drive at their school on April 1.

The Reynolds Reybots robot is shown. (CTV News)