Poway High's Robotics Club is flying high this year as six of its members head to Washington, D.C., to compete in the CyberPatriots finals after beating out nearly 500 other schools.

Though the Robotics Club often contends in the FIRST Robotics finals, competing in the CyberPatriots is a first for the engineering students.

"We're putting out very bright and talented children, and they're making Poway look really good," said advisor Roger Dohm. "We've competed in three rounds and we're one of the top 12."

The CyberPatriots—a high school cyber security competition sponsored by Northrop Grumman and created by the Air Force Association—allows students to develop in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Though these subjects aren't new to PHS students, this school year marks the first time the competition is open to non-Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps schools, allowing Poway to demonstrate its cyber security knowledge.

The students are ready for the finals too.

"We're as ready as we can be," said senior Blaine Shelton. "All we can do is look at previous vulnerabilities and study it over and over."

The competition, which takes place from March 31 to April 2, includes two other north San Diego County schools: Ramona High School and Westview High School. Hours will be long as each student takes a stab at "vulnerabilities" or tackling problems that traditional defense professionals must solve.

"We've worked hard," said 18-year-old Shelton.

The team captain is confident too.

Junior Kyle Brennan, 17, said he practices for hours a week.

"I have years of experience," Brennan said. "I have a few servers at home and practice all the time."

Competition isn't new to Brennan, who has been a member of the club since he was a PHS freshman, and the Robotics Club has always scored well in events.

The Robotics Club is also preparing for the regular season in the FIRST Robotics competition. The team, which placed 21st among 2,500-plus schools internationally, has "a legacy of winning," said Dohm.

Club President Julie Gattentio reiterated the same. Gattentio, 17, said the students have become accustomed to doing well in competitions and when 10 students, also known as Team Spyder, head to their first match, they'll be more excited than nervous.

"Every year we get a little better, and this year we have a great team," she said. "We're really excited."

Madeline Campbell, a senior, is confident too.

"We got a lot of great ideas," she said. "There are a lot of promises because this team has passion."

But the Robotics Club is more than just competitions, said Dohm.

Dohm, who teaches engineering designs among other subjects, said the club allows the students to learn everything from the principles of engineering to designing graphics to making business plans.

"It's literally run like a business," he said. "They're constantly creating and learning. The kids are learning about the process of true development."

The skills garnered from the Robotics Club coupled with team work strategies explain why the students often do well in competitions, said Dohm.

"The goal is to try and produce good citizens and to help our society," he said. "These kids are going to do just that. I really believe these kids will find the cure for our ailments, create the new inventions we'll be using in the future and show what it means to work together. They're leaders."