2023-2024
The ‘23-’24 season was my first within robotics, and it beheld the largest learning curve of all years. Here is where I learned every technical foundation (of our team’s design process, team roles, CAD, manufacturing, assembly, competitions, etc). Not only did I grasp how to make a robot, but how to market one too! To give brief context, there are usual 2 part of the First Tech Challenge’s competition: Judging and Performance. Judging is where I picked up a fondness for public speaking and efficient communication. My main contribution, other than learning all I could, was being our main 3D-printing personnel. I did all of our slicing and printing—that usually meant the printer was inexorably on in order to meet and accelerate our assembly of the robot.
2025-2026
Junior Year was my first year as Project Manager for Hydra, where I learnt the intricacies of leading a team. My co-Project Manager and I learnt the various processes, notably SWOT, to evaluate current team skills and understand how to effectively cultivate what everyone brought to the table. That said, I formed lesson plans for the summer in order to teach our incoming rookie members. Throughout the season, we utilized weekly meetings to ensure everyone knew deadlines and had a place for discussion if any concerns/ideas came to mind. We both ensured to create a strong team culture that ensured inclusion, which we believe is the reason behind our team’s success. Personally, for the team, I created a 16-page Engineering portfolio (60 hrs of work) and helped set up an international outreach program—ATLAS Campaign— of which 6 of the 7 continents were reached, which won us several awards. Notably, we made it to the States competition, winning the Inspire Award, alongside 3 Connect Awards.
From my Freshman to my Senior year, I participated in Vandegrift’s renowned FTC (First Tech Challenge) robotics program—latter 2 of which I lead my team as a project manager. From these 4 packed years I soaked up everything I possibly could within the engineering world; brainstorming effectively, Computer-aided design, manufacturing, assembly, electrical management, etc. Not only did I pick up many technical skills but interpersonal ones too. I was taught how to manage a team effectively, work and respect each other as teammates and friends, reach out and support my community, communicate and transit my ideas, thoughts, and concerns properly—but in all the most important I learned how to have fun.
Robotics
2024-2025
My second year in robotics, and my main focus was when I began to pursue leadership and delegation within my team. I was Hardware Lead, meaning I kept an eye and managed on construction deadlines and managed task delegation within the hardware sub-team. The ‘24-’25 year is also when I finished my shop-training, allowing me to master the usage of CNC Routers, bandsaws, sanders, among many other tools. I focused on team dynamics this year as I was hoping to take a managing position the following year. This was to create the strongest team culture I could to motivate the entire team’s morale and tenacity to learn. Although I began to look at interpersonal constructs to create a stronger team next year, I was still head over heels in learning hardware and CAD. I expanded my knowledge primarily through the utilization of new mechanisms such as a turret (360 deg spin joint that holds the outtake/claw).
2026-2027
This is my final year of robotics, and as a Project Manager for 7161 Hydra. Over the summer, I created a Marketing 101 doc ready for my departure in tandem with teaching our rookie members myself on how to format and effectively convey information visually and textually to judges. I plan to spend my entire year filling in the technical holes that our concurrent Seniors will create in hopes of complete autonomy without us.