What is your position on the team?

“Captain.”

What is your favorite part of robotics?

“I really like the opportunity to work with real world products and real world challenges, because so often, in STEM fields particularly, you are stuck in a classroom learning calculus and not the real world. But with robotics, you get to see it actually matter.”

How long have you been on the robotics team?

“I have been on this team for one year now, but I have been on robotics in general for four years. I was on a different team before I transferred here (from Great River)”

What is the most difficult part about being captain?

“(The hardest thing to do as a captain is) motivating people to do things. Convincing people that what they do matters, and finding meaningful work for them to do. It is really easy in concept to tell people things to do, but then we only have six weeks to achieve something, so making sure everything they are doing is actually meaningful and purposeful.”

What is your favorite part of being captain?

“It is fun to inspire people, and I can really feel a great connection to the final product. And I know I am making a difference for the people on the team.”

What activities do you participate in outside of robotics?

“I do air force auxiliary, or civil air patrol, every Monday night, which kind of taught me my leadership skills for robotics.”

Are you interested in any careers related to the field of robotics?

“I plan on going into either industrial or mechanical engineering. So basically systems integration and systems management, hopefully working internationally.”