Contents
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Upcoming Activity:
What: LEGO Mindstorm Camp
When: July 14-24; 8:45am - 12:00pm
Where: Shannon Elementary
Why: Student Mentoring!
Be there!
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Team Bios
Kaitlin Akard - Kaitlin is a junior at Rockwall High School, and this is her second year in robotics. She is vice president in charge of Public Relations. Her main job is working on Chairman’s Award. Outside of robotics, Kaitlin is our only cheerleader! She is on the varsity squad and is the source of excitement and team peppiness. She was on the nationals team for cheerleading this year, where she competed against other high schools across the country. Interesting fact: If Kaitlin were in band everyone would shun her.
Blair Belt - This is Blair’s first year in Robotics. She is a sophomore at Rockwall High School. In robotics, Blair does odd jobs, like building transmissions and being a self-appointed interior designer. Blair’s favorite aspect of robotics is learning about the complicated world of mechanical design; she also likes the scented markers. Blair is the second most dramatic person I have personally met through the robotics club. Outside of robotics, Blair is the JV cheerleader mascot and is also on the drum line. Interesting Fact: Blair knows the top ten rules of high school mascoting (we’re sure to win the mascot award this year!).
Brooke Buchanan - Brooke is the cinematographer of the Robotics Club; she films our activities and will later make a video to present at the Chairman’s award presentation. She is also involved in the software team. Brooke guesstimates that she spends 18-20 hours a week at Robotics. Her favorite class is Gifted and Talented English with Mr. Garret. Brooke’s inspiration comes from her friends (and their crazy personas). Outside of Robotics Brooke is involved in Spotlight Theatre at Rockwall High School. Interesting Fact: Michelle Ritter brings out her inner Latina.
Kelli Burkhardt - Kelli is a second-year veteran of robotics (not World War II). Kelli is on the software team. Outside of robotics, Kelli is the head drum major and was recently involved with the high school theater production of Les Miserables. Kelli is also in National Honor Society, Choir, National Charity League, etc. (Kelli is certainly going to college). Interesting fact: Kelli has a cow named Sirloin.
Alex Calderon - Alex is participating in his first year of robotics and is a sophomore at Rockwall High School. Alex is on the mechanical team. He especially enjoys drilling holes in things. Alex believes safety is first! He recently participated in the high school theater production of Les Miserables. Interesting Fact: Alex thinks he’s spicy (he’s not, but we let him think that).
Emily Cariker - Emily is a robotics rookie this year and is a sophomore at Rockwall High School. She works on practice field construction and the pit. Emily is currently the valedictorian of her class. Emily believes that robotics teaches you about many different things, not just engineering. Interesting fact: Emily likes coloring with markers.
Katie Cihak - This is Katie’s first year in robotics. She is a sophomore at Rockwall High School. Katie works in practice field construction and wire stripping. Outside of robotics, Katie plays saxophone in marching and jazz band (but mainly her life is robotics). Interesting fact: Katie is too nice to diss Nathan.
David Daniel - David is a junior with three years robotics experience. David is our visionary expert, planning with lightning brainpower. Outside of robotics, he rocks the house with his baritone saxophone! David is proud to announce to the world that he is a Level 20 Mage on Guild Wars!
Jolease Darrington - Jolease is a junior at Rockwall High School. This is her third year to be involved with robotics. Jolease works on almost everything, but this year she has focused primarily on electronics. She plans to major in electrical engineering, and she feels that this experience is wonderful preparation for her future. Outside of robotics, she plays trumpet in marching, concert, and jazz band. Interesting fact: Jolease has competed in numerous sewing and fashion design competitions.
Heather Dawe - Heather is a sophomore and two year member of our team. She is the lovely historian who walks around with a camera permanently attached to her hand. Besides the camerawork, she likes tinkering with the shiny objects. In her other life she runs for the RHS Track and Cross-Country teams. Heather has ADD so she just disappeared.
Gregg Fox - Gregg is a junior at Rockwall High School. He is co-webmaster of the Robotics; he approximates that he spends 16 hours per week at robotics. Outside of Robotics, Gregg plays saxophone in marching band and jazz band. Gregg says that robotics is a way of illuminating your inner mechanist. Interesting Fact: Between bald and shaved, Gregg prefers the fanciful Donald Trump comb-over.
Elizabeth Fudge - Elizabeth is a senior at Rockwall High School and is heavily involved with the software team. Elizabeth enjoys her AP Computer Science class and hopes to pursue a career in that field. She basks in the companionship and foam dinosaurs that can only be found in the Robotics Club. Elizabeth has a compulsive desire to solve problems (she is definitely in the right club). Elizabeth has some interesting views on lightning; she believes that the world is one big robot and lightning is a result of poor wiring.
TJ Hampton - TJ is a second year veteran of the animation team and is a senior at Rockwall High School. This year he worked on the safety video and the environmental conservation video. Outside of robotics, he plays the trumpet in band(s). Interesting fact: I just met TJ this year and he’s waaaaay cool!
Drew Harakal - Drew is a senior at Rockwall High School. He has been in robotics for the past three years and our President for the past two. He guesstimates he spends 25 hours per week in robotics. Drew takes safety very seriously; he feels that otherwise someone will end up headless. Drew’s inspiration comes from Sarah (not Kaitlin, who does not support safety). Interesting Fact: Drew said this regarding the TV show Blues Clues “There was this one time in elementary school I got really sick, and me and my dog watched that show for a full four hours, and she would bark at the TV whenever they got a letter”.
Jonathan Holloway - Jonathan is a junior at Rockwall High School. This is his first year to participate in Rockwall Robotics. Jonathan works with the electrical team. His favorite class at school is English; later, he plans to go into the medical field. Interesting fact: Jonathan has traveled to Austria, Germany, England, and Scotland.
Chester Howell - Chester is a sophomore at Rockwall High School. He is involved with the mechanical team. He spends approximately an hour a day at Robotics, but he lies awake for another two hours a night thinking about robotics. Chester truly enjoys the time he spends here with his friends; he finds a sense of satisfaction from doing a job well done. Interesting Fact: Chester likes Firefox more than Internet explorer or Safari.
Jenni Kampman - Jenni is a junior at Rockwall High School who joined robotics this year. Her title is the electrical czar; she works on the electrical team and also assists in sorting the parts and constructing the practice field. Jenni believes that safety is for winners (way to go Jenni); her inspiration comes from Sarah the Safety Psychic. Interesting Fact: Although Jenni doesn’t specifically know how to flambé, she can light stuff on fire—close enough.
Adam Lagerberg - Adam is a senior, and our only team member from Rockwall-Heath High School. Adam is our nerd behind the computer, putting all his time into working with CAD. Adam continues his nerdy ways outside of robotics as a member of the Mighty Hawk Band. Adam is our brave adventurer who enjoys jumping off large rocks (don’t worry there is always water below him).
Justin Maham - Justin is a junior at Rockwall High School. This is his one-millionth year in robotics, and he basically knows everything. He is the vice president of mechanics. He is also the “secret President”, meaning he refuses to accept all presidential nominations, but he really is…and we all know it. Justin lives at robotics (at least we think so…we leave at night). When we’re in off-season Justin’s spirit haunts the empty portable (where we have build sessions). Interesting fact: Justin lives in a house (how unique).
Chris Marsh - Chris is a rookie in robotics club this year and is a sophomore at Rockwall high school. Chris is on the mechanical team. He enjoys learning how to use all the individual, specialized equipment. Chris believes robotics is a great club to join because it’s a lot of fun, and it builds teamwork and responsibility. Interesting fact: Chris has been to every state in the US except Alaska and the far west coast.
Tyler Martinez - Tyler is a second year veteran of the animation team. He is a senior at Rockwall High School. This year he worked on the safety video and the environmental conservation video.
Megan McClellan - Megan is a first year rookie of robotics and is a sophomore at Rockwall High School. Megan is involved in cost accounting and kit of parts sorting. Megan is second lieutenant of color guard. She plans to go to A&M and major in meteorology. Interesting fact: To Megan the world is a sweetie.
Ryan Mendenhall - This is Ryan’s second year to be on the robotics animation team; he makes the safety animation (he’s my favorite, even though I just met him). Outside of robotics, Ryan is the master of couch potato-ing (I thought that was Mr. Charbonneau). Ryan wants to pursue a future in computer animation. Interesting fact: Ryan works at SPM (our corporate sponsor).
Tyler Milner - Tyler is a second year veteran of the animation team. He is a senior at Rockwall High School. This year he worked on the safety video and the environmental conservation video.
Steven Olmstead - Steven is in his fifth year of robotics (that cheater…he started in middle school). Steven is a senior at Rockwall High School. Steven doesn’t talk much - he prefers to fill his mouth with food instead. When he’s not eating, Steven works on construction and writes essays for chairman’s award. Steven is alone in that he is the only native Scotsman (however he doesn’t typically wear kilts to practice, only Thursdays…I love Thursdays). Interesting fact: Steven isn’t an Aquarius.
Shannon Rickley - Shannon is a senior at Rockwall High School. She is co-webmaster of the Robotics Club. This is Shannon’s second year in the Robotics Club. She spends 8 hours every week at robotics plus a shocking 5000 extra lying awake thinking about it at night. On her priority list, safety is definitely at the top. Outside of robotics, Shannon plays clarinet in an award-winning ensemble. Interesting fact: Shannon has traced Drew’s genealogy back to the founding father Benjamin Franklin!
Andrew Shell - This is Andrew’s first year in Rockwall Robotics. Andrew is a junior at Rockwall High School. In robotics, Andrew go-fer’s nuts, bolts, screw drivers, and any other tools. He also worked on constructing the controller box and participates in a wide array of manly build projects. In addition, Andrew is a life scout in the Boy Scouts, involved at his church and a member of Chess Club. Andrew plans to pursue a future in aerospace engineering. Interesting fact: Andrew’s favorite smell is gunpowder.
Nathan Sherokee - Nathan is in the 11th grade and is home schooled. He works on the electrical team and helps with building the practice field. Nathan lies awake every night for 30 minutes thinking about robotics. Interesting Fact: If Nathan were homeless, he would live on I-45 or at Sam’s Club.
Kendall Stephens - Kendall joined Robotics this year and has assisted in sorting parts and building the practice field. Kendall is a junior and also involved in color guard and Rockwall’s French club. She was drafted into the program by Drew and Mr. Charbonneau because she believes she has a calling in robotics. Interesting Fact: When asked the question “Do you know the Muffin Man?” her response was, “Yes, yes I do.” (we believe that she and the muffin man are rather questionably close).
Elester Williams - Elester is a junior at Rockwall High School. This is his second year in robotics as a member of the software team. He enjoys learning to program and plans to pursue a career that requires an engineering background. Outside of robotics, Elester plays the bass drum in drum line. Interesting fact: His nickname is pineapple perfection.
Sarah Williams - Sarah is a junior at Rockwall High School. This is her second year in robotics. Sarah is supposedly the vice president in charge of software, but more importantly she is the safety captain. She inspires safe thoughts in the minds of all the impressionable, young high schoolers. Her motto is “Safety is for winners” (which is ironically the FIRST safety slogan…and is most likely trademarked, so she really ought to get a new one). Her second motto is “You will die.” Which is sort of a threat to people who aren’t safe (what a bully). Interesting fact: “If Sarah were a cheerleader she would be widely accepted by all (contrary to Kaitlin’s beliefs…and Gregg’s)”.
