Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
McALLEN, Texas – Twelve-year-old Emma Garza is spending part of her summer building and programming robots at South Texas College, gaining an early look at skills that could shape her future.
Garza, a student at South Middle School in Edinburg, says she is already eyeing a future career as an aerospace engineer, so she jumped at the chance to enroll in a free Lego SPIKE Prime summer camp for incoming sixth through 12th graders offered by the Center for Advanced Training and Apprenticeships (CATA) at STC’s Technology Campus.
Summer camps are part of STC’s lineup of free Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) camps, made possible through a grant from the Texas Workforce Commission.
“I like how robotics opens up the mind and allows you to be creative,” Garza said. “You get to build things, and it’s really fun. My dream job is to work in aerospace and I am working as hard as I can to reach that goal.”
Using Lego SPIKE Prime kits, students build interactive models and learn the fundamentals of engineering design, robotics and block-based coding. Lessons introduce them to motors, sensors and programming through hands-on challenges that strengthen teamwork, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Gary Lee Nunez, a robotics team mentor with Texas Robotics Alliance and camp instructor, said the goal is to make robotics approachable for students who may not have access to similar programs or may feel intimidated by the technology.
During the camp, challenges modeled after popular robotics competitions also allow students to apply lessons while experimenting with their own designs.
“We want to make sure they have a good introduction, learn all the basics and know how to use motors and sensors,” Nunez said. “It is also a good way to show students whether they like it because they may not otherwise get the opportunity to try it.”
CATA Director Leonel Garcia said the camp goes beyond building robots by introducing young people to technologies shaping tomorrow’s workforce.
“These hands-on experiences spark curiosity, build confidence and help students see that careers in engineering, aviation, robotics and other advanced technologies are within their reach,” Garcia said. “CATA and STC just put them that much closer to grabbing those opportunities.”
