Engineering
Paly Robotics
I joined Paly Robotics (my high school’s First Robotics team) as a Freshman. My entire time on the team I was part of the Build Team. Here, I worked with CNC routers, lathes, mills, laser cutters, 3-D printers, and other tools to prototype, fabricate, and assemble our competition robots. I also led the design and assembly process for our robot’s collision damage mitigation system. I was the Lab Manager for the team where I was responsible for maintaining lab space, materials, and tools, as well as standardizing parts teamwide (working with over 70 users). I additionally led a team-wide effort to improve workplace safety standards.
Many of my activities and experiences involved team based work requiring leadership and communication, however one of my hobbies that I turn to when stressed or inspired, is personal projects. More specifically, there are two that I’m most proud of including my La-Z-Boy Go-Kart. After my Grandfather passed away, I rebuilt his La-Z-Boy recliner into a drivable, and pretty fast La-Z-Boy Go-Kart. This project helps me to remember the time I spent with my Grandpa and how much fun we had together. Another personal project I’m proud of is my EBike, which I built using my old bike frame, and parts I ordered online. I later upgraded the bike frame to be more sturdy, and sit lower to the ground. I make these sorts of upgrades all the time, and I feel they represent how I’ve learned and changed through building and tinkering with projects throughout my life.
Throughout my life I’ve been interested in, and amazed by mechanical design and machines. The idea of how things work together and interact in such interesting ways in the physical world is fascinating to me. This interest and passion is reflected in much of my leadership and teamwork experience.
Palo Alto Solar Vehicle
During my Sophomore year, I co-founded the first Bay Area high school solar car team, called Palo Alto Solar Vehicle. My work as a co-founder included working with other founders to build a team from the ground up to compete in the Solar Car Challenge. I also helped to garner initial support from local organizations, and manage the logistics of a growing team. I was the Build Co-lead, where I led the design and prototyping phases of our initial design. I selected our team's CAD software and helped develop our CAD design (focus on suspension and supporting structures).
CAD Club
During my Sophomore year I was part of CAD Creators, a CAD (Computer Aided Design) club at our school. I was the Maker Space Manager where I was responsible for maintaining the work space, tools, and 3-D printing. 3-D printing was my main focus during my time in the club, so I spent lots of time helping other members print their designs, as well as post-processing, and design iteration. I learned a lot about CAD and the mechanical design process from other students so I left with a lot more knowledge than I came in with. As a Senior, I became the Vice President of the club, and helped manage club affairs, as well as teaching CAD lessons and garnering club support after a down year.
La-Z-Boy Go-Kart and EBike
Drone Flight Support
During the summer of my senior year, I volunteered at a drone startup. Here, I worked as a flight test volunteer, working alongside pilots, programmers and drone designers. As part of my role I setup testing and tracking systems, and hand loaded and launched drones from a catapult. I also worked in a fire suppression role, and tracked and secured crashed drones while preparing for battery fires and other hazards. Additionally, I worked to recover and disassemble crashed drones.
