Tensing with anticipation, freshmen Jaxon Hines and Jonathan Medlock held their breath as the results were announced. Months of late afternoons spent soldering wires, studying robotics, and testing circuits had led to this moment. When their names were called for second place in the nation, the two friends could hardly believe it.
“When we placed second in the nation, I was a little sad at first, but thrilled overall,” Jaxon said. “Second in the nation is pretty good.”
The pair earned second place at the national level of the Technology Student Association’s Electrical Applications contest, an event that challenges students to design, test, and explain a working circuit under strict time limits.
“They got first at state, and [robotics teacher] Mr. Baldrige said the kids who win state in Texas usually do well at Nationals,” Jonathan’s father, Alex Medlock, said. “So I had high expectations going in.”
Though they grew closer while working together, the circuitry duo have been friends since long before TSA.
“Jonathan and I have been friends since kindergarten,” Jaxon said. “I invited him to my birthday party, and we’ve been close ever since.”
Their TSA journey began in eighth-grade robotics, where curiosity quickly turned into competition.
“We were both in a robotics class in middle school,” Jonathan said. “At the beginning of the year, TSA was an option in the second semester, so Jaxon and I decided to team up and do Electrical Applications.”
Even with natural skill, success did not come easily. The duo spent months studying circuits, schematics, and electrical theory.
“Every Tuesday and Thursday, we’d stay after school for about an hour with our teacher’s help,” Jonathan said. “Then we worked on it at home, too.”
Their families say that they relentless effort is what sets them apart.
“Jonathan’s just a crazy hard worker,” Mr. Medlock said. “He’s super smart, but I think he works even harder than he is intelligent, and that’s what really sets him apart.”
Jaxon’s father agreed, watching his son’s dedication develop with each project.
“Honestly, I don’t know what he’s doing half the time,” Jaxon’s father Jonathan Hines said. “But as a parent, it’s rewarding to see him excel, grow, and mature into the young man I know he can be.”
The national event combined three challenges: a written test, a circuit build, and a technical interview. The duo practiced by studying online resources and building circuits from schematics.
“There’s an interview after the circuit build where the judges just ask you what you did and if you understood it,” Jonathan said. “At State, it happened on the spot, but at nationals, you had to sign up for another interview time.”
They credit one particularly tricky compound, the 555 timer, for frustration and fascination.
“We spent six months studying and asking our teacher for help,” Jaxon said. “Building the circuit was actually kind of hard, especially the bistable mode of the 555 timer, which took a long time to figure out.”
The component became both their biggest challenge and their favorite discovery, a tiny chip that tested their patience and problem-solving skills.
“The coolest gadget I’ve learned to use in TSA is the 555 timer,” Jonathan said. “It helps with timing, like on lights, and you can adjust the resistors and capacitance to change how it works.”
While their teamwork style was unconventional, they still found ways to make things work.
“When it comes to dividing responsibilities, we don’t really; it’s just chaos,” Jonathan said. “There’s no organization at all, and we weren’t allowed to work together on the test anyway.”
Though they excel at science and logic, both boys still find ways to use creativity in their lives and explore the way technology could make life easier.
“If I could invent any device, it would be a pencil that connects to your brain so it writes for you,” Jaxon said. “That way your thoughts just go straight to the page.”
On the other hand, Jonathan elected for a more practical invention.
“For me, it would be something that just prints food,” Jonathan said. “Not from ingredients; just out of nothing.”
As their high school journey begins, both friends are finding new ways to apply what they learned.
“Since Jonathan moved away from Electrical Applications, I’ve started working with someone else, and we’re going to build a video game,” Jaxon said. “To prepare, I’ve taken my talents to AP Computer Science so I can learn to code.”
Their parents noted the unique character traits that have shaped the duo.
“Jaxon is introverted, intelligent, and funny,” Mr. Hines said. “Not everyone sees his funny side right away, but once you know him, he’s hilarious and very likable.”
While Hines described his son’s quiet sense of humor, Mr. Medlock highlighted Jonathan’s determination and drive.
“Jonathan is driven, hardworking, and doesn’t quit,” Medlock said. “That’s how I’d describe my son.”
Looking back, both teens agree that success in robotics takes more than circuitry; it takes patience, teamwork, and passion.
“I never expected that something we began in a middle school classroom could take us all the way to going to Nationals in Tennessee,” Jonathan said. “I guess that just shows that if you never give up and keep trying your best, you can get anywhere.”
