Members

Leadership
Technical
Operations
Mentors

Captains

Lita

Position: Team Captain
Other Activities:

Creating, Music + Arts, Mechanics, Reading.

Favorite Robot: Ultron
Reason for Joining:

I was dragged unwillingly.

Future Goals:

Work towards creating sustainable energy and integrate clean hydrogen energy into everyday use to eliminate extreme carbon emissions.

Quote:

"Why is Cougartech kinda good this year?"

Gavin

Position: Vice Captain
Other Activities:

Building things, playing video games.

Favorite Robot: BD-1 From Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order/Survivor
Reason for Joining:

My sister roped me in right out of Middle School, and I wanted to build things.

Future Goals:

Going into some form of Mechanical Engineering Field.

Drafting

Andy

Position: Lead
Other Activities:

Racing cars, building Legos, and playing video games.

Favorite Robot: Marvin The Paranoid Robot
Reason for Joining:

I joined the team for the challenge of building a robot, but mostly to make friends and meet people!

Future Goals:

To get into collage and build race cars for a living.

Quote:

"HONEY! WHERES MY SUPER SUIT!?!?" -Frozone

William

Position: member
Other Activities:

Reading and doing jigsaw puzzles.

Reason for Joining:

Wanted to practice doing CAD work and my sister was on the team.

Future Goals:

Develop CAD skills and learn if CAD is what I want to do for a living.

Quote:

Hexagons are best-agons.

Avery

Position: CAD Member
Other Activities:

Instruments (flute, saxophone, piccolo), origami/other crafting, volunteer at lollypop farms, plant care

Favorite Robot: Wall-E
Reason for Joining:

Demo at our school, and then went to the open house

Future Goals:

Go to college, be some kind of engineer, play level a level 6 NYSSMA solo and get a perfect score, own reptiles

Quote:

"The shampoo is not tear free. In fact, it is tear-inducing." -Count Olaf from ASoUE

Electrical

Caleb

Position: Member
Other Activities:

Being an absolute baller, and skiing

Favorite Robot: Bender
Reason for Joining:

To make robot go

Future Goals:

Survive Spanish 3

Costa

Position: Member
Other Activities:

stuff

Favorite Robot: Rho (2022-2023 Cougartech robot)
Reason for Joining:

Because I was in Lego First and I enjoyed it so I continued it this year

Future Goals:

To survive.

Mechanical

Alex

Position: Member

Ethan

Position: Member
Other Activities:

Harassing my brother and video games

Favorite Robot: Terminator
Reason for Joining:

My brother was here

Future Goals:

Not a single clue

Sam

Position: Member

Isaac

Position: Subteam Lead
Other Activities:

Watching survivor

Favorite Robot: Zamboni
Reason for Joining:

Tax right offs.

Future Goals:

Expanding my ball knowledge.

Quote:

“That's money $” Scottie

Adrian

Position: Lead Mechanic
Favorite Robot: Baymax
Reason for Joining:

Ariel recommended it, and it sounded really cool

Future Goals:

College

Michael

Position: member
Other Activities:

Blacksmithing, wood working, small engine mechanics, gaming and building.

Favorite Robot: the old Cougartech parade bot
Reason for Joining:

because i liked FLL and enjoy caff.. working with my hands

Future Goals:

To be a tradesman and work to make money to live comfortably.

Quote:

"do something, idk" somebody

Ethan

Position: member
Favorite Robot: milrem type x
Reason for Joining:

family

Future Goals:

college maybe

Willow

Position: Mechanical Member
Other Activities:

Reading (comics), art/drawing, writing (fiction), video games (Minecraft, Postal, Borderlands, etc)

Favorite Robot: FL4K
Reason for Joining:

Robots are cool, I like building stuff, great team/community, I actually socialize outside of school, etc

Future Goals:

Rule the world (joke), have a stable living situation, getting a cool job, being famous in the niche kind of way (likely after my death, but still), etc

Quote:

“I regret nothing” - Postal Dude from Postal. Not my own, but I do live by it (also look up a video of him saying it, context is important)

Keegan

Position: Mechanical member
Other Activities:

Art, DnD, theater

Favorite Robot: Boston Dynamics: Spot
Reason for Joining:

I’m interested in going into engineering fields for a job and know many people on the team

Future Goals:

Go to college, own a house

Mustafa

Position: Mechanical member
Other Activities:

Building things out of cardboard; writing story plays; playing soccer; debating

Reason for Joining:

Learn more about machines, computers, and STEM related topics through hands-on experience.

Future Goals:

Get into MIT and get a job with financial stability which is related to engineering

Quote:

“If you’re nothing without that suit then you shouldn’t have it at all.” -Tony Stark

Yael

Position: Mechanical Member
Other Activities:

Painting

Reason for Joining:

I was interested in building robots

Future Goals:

Learn more history

Programming

Grayson

Position: Member
Other Activities:

Gaming, DND, Tennis, Skiing.

Favorite Robot: -Rho
Reason for Joining:

-Wanted to learn code, all I got was this T-shirt.

Future Goals:

Go to college for Comsci

Quote:

"Debugging is like being the detective in a crime movie where you are also the murderer."

Richard

Position: Subteam Lead
Other Activities:

Tennis

Favorite Robot: Rho
Reason for Joining:

Friends, robotics.

Future Goals:

Collage

Quote:

"We're a robotics team, we make stuff" -Andy

Issac

Position: Member
Other Activities:

Programming; drawing, painting, sketching, etc.; reading (in great excess); and researching random things.

Favorite Robot: Thus far, Rho. It was a very capable bot. However, I myself have a bias for Rho, as I participated in its construction and programming.
Reason for Joining:

I wanted to join to learn. Programming has interested me since I was first introduced to computers (Rust is amazing). I was also made aware of some opportunities available through the team and through FIRST.

Future Goals:

I wish to go to the Rochester Institute of Technology after graduation and get my Bachelor's (at least) in Computer Science, with a double minor in Game Design and American Sign Language.

Quote:

"Yeah, you were right. There are a LOT of ways to do one thing in Perl."

Peter

Position: Programming member
Other Activities:

Programming

Reason for Joining:

I won't have a big STEM opportunity like this ever again

Future Goals:

Get a job, something involving engineering or programming, have a family

Cash

Position: Programming member
Other Activities:

Video games (I guess) I don’t have many hobbies

Reason for Joining:

I wanted a learning opportunity about programming

Future Goals:

To learn more about programming and actually be useful

Safety

Abby

Position: Safety Captain
Other Activities:

Tennis, scrapbooking, and card games.

Favorite Robot: Wall-e
Reason for Joining:

All my family were part of it.

Future Goals:

Early elementary teacher.

Fatima

Position: Safety Captain
Other Activities:

I like to bake, read, and play soccer.

Favorite Robot: Sonny from the movie "I, Robot" specifically when he looked into the camera and became a meme.
Reason for Joining:

I enjoy trying new things and I've enjoyed every robotics related class I've ever taken so I joined the team to do more of what I enjoy.

Future Goals:

I want to do well on all my final exams. I want to graduate with a good GPA and go to college.

Quote:

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" - John Lennon. Or it's "Alien, Alien, he's our favorite guy".

Community and Outreach

Zoe

Position: Community & Outreach memb
Other Activities:

Reading and music

Reason for Joining:

I don’t know

Future Goals:

Finish all the books

Finance

Max

Position: Subteam Lead
Reason for Joining:

idk

Future Goals:

idk

Quote:

"sigma sigma on the wall who's the skibidiest of them all"

Media and Design

Tali

Position: Member
Other Activities:

Reading and drawing.

Favorite Robot: Rho
Reason for Joining:

I love art and graphic design!

Future Goals:

Study biology at a college.

Quote:

"CougarTech more like cool as heck" -Andy

Mady

Position: Subteam Lead
Other Activities:

Tennis, tennis, science, and more tennis.

Favorite Robot: RhoBot
Reason for Joining:

Bribery and it was fun.

Future Goals:

Nursing

Abby

Position: Member
Other Activities:

Model UN, drawing, and reading.

Favorite Robot: Rho
Reason for Joining:

Purely just interested.

Future Goals:

Go to college and study criminal or criminal justice.

Quote:

"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of who you are."- Kurt Cobain

Bridgit

Position: Media and Design member
Other Activities:

Playing the trombone

Reason for Joining:

I want to help learn new skills and meet new people

Future Goals:

Go to college and foster animals

Grace

Position: Media and Design member
Other Activities:

drawing, reading, playing video games

Reason for Joining:

I saw the demo in 2nd-4th grade-ish and found it really cool

Future Goals:

to be a author/animator/artist/content creator

Quote:

"'Look, kid, everyone wants to believe they are "chosen". But if we all waited around for a prophecy to make us special, we'd die waiting. And that's why you need to choose yourself.'" Eda Clawthorne from The Owl House

Website and Social Media

Luke

Position: Webmaster (Sub Team Lead)
Other Activities:

Reading books, videogames, mountain biking, hiking

Favorite Robot: GLaDOS
Reason for Joining:

One day I decided I wanted to do stuff with websites now here I am.

Future Goals:

College

Quote:

"Dark humor is like food, not everybody gets it" - Joseph Stalin, probably

Ollie

Position: Website and Social Media
Other Activities:

Drawing, writing, researching, playing outside

Favorite Robot: Meesebot model no. 2?-1 (I made this up, it's my Mbot)
Reason for Joining:

It's fun and I want to learn more about computer science

Future Goals:

for there to be a day when I have goals

Quote:

"In the future, everyone will be famous to 15 people" -Momus, aka Nick Currie

Technical Mentors

Bob Carter

Area of Expertise:

Mechanical

Dan Farnam

Area of Expertise:

Motors, controls, programming, networking, safety, project management

Activities:

Scouting, Boy Scouts, hiking & travel.

Favorite Robot:

BB8

Join Reason:

The rest of my family were all members so I decided to join in the fun and bring my technical knowledge with me

Future Goals:

See my kids grow up and go to college then I can retire and travel

Quote:

An invaluable step in character training is to put responsibility on the individual

Erik VanBork

Area of Expertise:

Fluid systems, embedded controls, lean manufacturing

Activities:

Boy scouts

Favorite Robot:

The Mars rover Opportunity

Join Reason:

My children joined the team and I started Mentoring they've graduated (one's an EE and the other is an ME) and I just hang around for the fun

Future Goals:

To help students find their life ambition through doing

Quote:

The fewer moving parts, the better

Gary Stottler

Area of Expertise:

Mechanical engineering, car repair

Activities:

School Board

Favorite Robot:

R2D2

Join Reason:

I love building things and teaching others to build

Future Goals:

Help the team win competitions, see students learn skills and confidence

Quote:

Never be afraid to take things apart!

Jaime Lange

Activities:

Travel, plan travel, creative stuff

Join Reason:

My kids are on the team and I enjoy mentoring FIRST

Jeff Lange

Area of Expertise:

Software

Favorite Robot:

Inspiration

Join Reason:

Sharing my experience and joy of development with students

Ken Symons

Area of Expertise:

Mechanical

Favorite Robot:

R2D2

Join Reason:

My son joined so I thought I would too

Quote:

Simple solutions are the best solutions

Ken Simpson

Area of Expertise:

I make parts out of one's and zeroes

Activities:

I'll let you know when I find some

Join Reason:

It's Robitics?!

Ralph Arbelo

Area of Expertise:

Information Technology is my area of expertise for the team I assemble field elements and help out where needed

Activities:

I like to run, hike and hang out with my family

Join Reason:

My daughter joined, so I thought I'd help out

Tim Heywood

Area of Expertise:

Electrical

Activities:

Astronomy, hiking, travel

Favorite Robot:

James Webb Space Telescope

Join Reason:

My kids on the team

Operations Mentors

Bonnie Coddington

Area of Expertise:

Logistics

Activities:

Scouting BSA

Favorite Robot:

R2D2

Join Reason:

Love working with kid after spending 3 years with Legos, I wanted more!

Future Goals:

Send my kids to the college of their choice so they can support me in my retirement

Quote:

I love working with the kids I enjoy watching them grow, learn from the experiences, and become young adults with a focus the biggest reward for me is seeing the students proud and excited with their accomplishments

Dan Albin

Area of Expertise:

Woodworking, HTML, CSS, ASP, Javascript, .NET, Philosophy

Activities:

Raising children

Join Reason:

Claudia tricked me and it sounded like fun

Future Goals:

Raise 2 successful women

Quote:

It's great to see how much can be accomplished when a bunch of high school students get together and work hard I am constantly impressed with their work effort and level of skill this program is a great head start for some very bright kids