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In this past weekend’s Austin Daily Herald, we hope you had the opportunity to read about Brownsdale’s young robotics team of Daniel Grush, Abe Phillips and Eric Blust, who are making waves while gearing up for competition on both the national and world stage.

The trio make up an independent team, which means they are not supported by school and despite that have made strides in just three short years that have elevated them from a novice team to a competitive team.

It’s the perfect time to point out just how pivotal a robotics curriculum truly is in today’s education. Those who compete in robotics competitions are learning skills that will put them in a state of readiness for their days after school.

It teaches them problem solving skills, engineering skills, computer skills and perhaps most importantly — working with others to demonstrate the best possible outcome.

This is illustrated in a couple different ways for our Brownsdale trio, who not only have established a team-based mentality among themselves, but with the robotics team from Southland, where they have formed friendships and partnerships.

With a spirit of STEM education, robotics further builds young competitors into better people by starting them on a path of being the technical leaders of tomorrow.

A poignant question remains. Grush, Phillips and Blust have been able to find this level of success in just three years — what does the future hold for them?

It’s a question that becomes even more poignant when you expand it to include the potential of all kids taking part in robotics and when the question is left that open-ended then in reality the only answer need be: the sky’s the limit.