By Blaine Howerton | NorthFortyNews.com
Colorado Preparatory Academy seventh-grader Diego hopes his success inspires other students to keep learning and never be afraid to begin.
For many students, coding begins with curiosity. For Fort Collins student Diego, that curiosity has now led to a second national championship.
Diego, a student in Colorado Preparatory Academy’s grades 7–9 division, recently captured his second National K12 Robotics League championship after months of competition that began with virtual qualifying rounds in February and concluded at Stride’s headquarters in Virginia. Competitors programmed robots to sort colored cubes into target zones, and Diego successfully completed all required objectives to earn the national title.
The journey began with Scratch, a beginner-friendly programming language that introduced Diego to the fundamentals of coding.
“I got interested in coding with Scratch,” Diego said. “It led me to understand important code fundamentals and would help me learn other text-based computer languages.”
After discovering the National K12 Robotics Competition through Colorado Preparatory Academy, Diego decided robotics would be the perfect next challenge.
What keeps him engaged is the constant opportunity to improve.
“The most enjoyable part of programming robots is building new code or changing old code to see what works,” Diego said. “It’s important to think about multiple strategies for how the robot can complete the goals and choose which one is the best.”
Success didn’t come overnight. Diego spent countless hours refining his robot’s programming throughout each stage of the competition, continually making adjustments to improve speed and consistency.
One of the toughest obstacles came when the competition transitioned from virtual simulations to real-world robotics during the national finals.
“Before the finals, the competition was virtual,” Diego explained. “Since the finals had real, physical robots, we had to switch from the virtual environment to the physical one. This switch is one of the hardest parts of the robotics competition because the major differences between these environments force you to fix your code.”
The hard work paid off.
“I felt excited and happy to win the nationals for the second time and to represent my school, Colorado Preparatory Academy,” Diego said. “We started back in February with the first qualifying rounds, and it ended with the Finals at the Stride headquarters in Virginia. It felt so good to have all those hours of programming and testing pay off at the end.”
Behind every achievement is a team of supporters. Diego credits his parents, teachers, and the Stride staff involved with the competition for encouraging him throughout the season.
Perhaps more important than another championship is the message Diego hopes other students take away from his experience.
“Not being ‘good enough’ shouldn’t stop you,” he said. “Each time you try it out, you learn from your mistakes and get better at it each time. There are also many resources about robotics, engineering, and coding out there, letting you learn even more.”
Looking ahead, Diego plans to continue developing his programming skills while pursuing robotics that can make a difference in everyday life.
“I would continue learning how to code, and I would also like to build and maintain real robots that do more practical things, like automatic forklifts or self-driving vehicles,” Diego said.
While winning another national title was memorable, Diego says one highlight was meeting fellow competitors in person after months of virtual competition.
“It was especially fun flying all the way to Virginia and meeting the other finalists,” Diego said. “I got to meet everyone in person, and we all had a great time at the Stride K12 headquarters.”
Diego’s story serves as a reminder that big accomplishments often begin with small steps—and that perseverance, curiosity, and a willingness to learn can open doors to extraordinary opportunities.
Stories like Diego’s remind us how local students are shaping the future through curiosity, determination, and hard work. North Forty News is committed to sharing these inspiring achievements from across Northern Colorado.
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Courtesy of Colorado Preparatory Academy and Diego’s family.