But, in 2014, the school decided to drop the Power Drive program after NPPD shifted its focus. Local officials wanted to work in the growing robotics field, and Haschke was tasked with being the one to lead it, despite the fact that his knowledge of robotics ranged from none to less than none.

“I knew nothing about it at the time,” Haschke said. “I was a chemistry and physics teacher, not a robotics (teacher). I had no coding background, (but) I went with it and I had some great kids those first few years and I’ve continued to have an excellent experience with a lot of really good kids who have gone on to start really good careers in those fields.”

Among them was Mohrmann, whose story in winning the world championship is remarkable in its own right. Mohrmann performed extremely well but initially finished second after having a broken axle in the tournament final.

But weeks later, Mohrmann and Haschke were informed that a scoring error had prevented them from taking their rightful places as world champions. A celebration soon ensued, showcasing the level of progress that Haschke had made in not just building the program, but also his knowledge of the field.