Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences (250 words)
3 years ago I joined Team “Wildhats” to participate in FRC Robotic competitions. Each year since we have tackled a new challenge together, from a recycling robot to one that can besiege and capture an opposing stronghold.
Building a robot from scratch to perform specific actions is a challenging but rewarding task. Every team member must contribute during both the design and build phases. This has enabled me to develop proficiency with a wide range of skills including animation, shop fabrication, and CAD. I look forward to continuing my education with the basics of engineering, business, and leadership. I am most excited by how a basic knowledge of science, hardware, and craftsmanship can combine to build an intelligent, autonomously-operating machine.
I have also discovered that teamwork is paramount. Some of our greatest innovations came when there were no ready solutions. When build season starts, the design process becomes a cascade of micro-discoveries and mini-inventions, and having your friends next to you to offer encouragement and build upon your ideas is a key to success. I vividly remember our discussion during my first year of competition about what shape would maximize our robot's strength while preserving its agility. Each of us came to the table with a different vision, but in the end we settled on a hybrid which combined each design’s strengths. My team won our regional System Design Award in 2014, a confirmation of individual and team success.