Sparks, laughter, and the hum of motors. In that controlled chaos, three seniors stand out : Miguel Jimenez, Subomi Akinola, and Crystal Christy. Each moving with purpose, each shaping the future of  West Leyden’s  Engineering Club. All three joined the club as sophomores, but their paths would quickly diverge. Miguel and Subomi would team up , combining their skills to create their robot from concept to competition.Crystal would lead her own team,and  design and assemble her group to success. Over the three years, they would all become captains, and leave a mark on the club. Miguel discovered that his passion for engineering came early as he noted how,”“My interest for engineering came when I first probably in  middle school. I would watch my dad work on a project of his, and I would think it was cool,” he stated with a smile on his face. “He was using these big machines and sparks were flying. I kinda liked how you could create whatever you wanted with some time and dedication.”He thrives in the energy of the competition, recalling,” The Robot Rumble is insane. I mean, twelve different schools, around eighty robots, all out to destroy each other,” he said, eyes lighting up. “Looking around at the robots, seeing what other teams built, it gets your heart racing. You might be facing a bot that looks like something from a movie, and suddenly it’s time to lock in. That energy, that tension ,it’s unforgettable.”  Subomi is the hands-on force of the team,  who welds, and assembles pieces while lifting the mood of everyone around him. Engineering means many things to him. “A few words come to mind : companionship, working hard with your best friends, finishing the project no matter what,” he said, recalling the long hours working on the bot. “Hard work and dedication versus trials, I tried connections and then  not working, coding the remote and just just utter joy and happiness. I’m competing with your best friends and battling other schools and winning.There’s nothing better.He believes engineering has made him better, quoting,”“If you really want to be an engineer, you have to stay dedicated and persevere through hardships. Engineering taught me those skills,” he said confidently.Crystal is determined and moves through the physics class with determination and hyping up her team.  “When I first joined, I noticed that no women were really working on the bot or had any input. I saw it as a great opportunity to get involved to create, connect, and expand my horizons,” she said, recalling her first day in the club.Her dedication was clear during some of the team’s toughest projects.“Vampire Slayer was a very tasking process. There were nights we stayed after everyone else had gone home, fixing the bot until minutes before competition. When it finally worked .It felt like everything came together,” she said with a satisfied smile.  Crystal believes engineering has life  lessons beyond robotics. “Engineering isn’t about gender — it’s about problem solving and imagination. The battlefield isn’t just a test of force; it’s proof of teamwork and companionship,” she said. Back in the workshop, the three seniors stay leading their teams bringing them closer to success.