FLL POVs

One of my favorite parts of FLL is interacting with the kids, even if it was for a brief moment. I had the opportunity to assist kids in driving Lola and was also in charge of concessions. Though Lola had difficulties with her elevator mechanism, I was able to troubleshoot the issue with Sara, Jade, and Risha, even if we did not end up fixing it. My favorite part was seeing the smile on a kid's face when they successfully stacked up two cubes.

Shobha Srinivasan Class of 2020

I really enjoyed helping out demo Lola at the First Lego League competition. I was able to connect more with the rookies and the veterans. I was also chosen to give a speech about continuing robotics after FLL, this was challenging because I didn't know what to say and I felt unprepared originally. I was able to learn how to quickly prepare a speech and I also learned more about Lola's elevator. I look forward to helping at this demo next year.

Faye Neighbors Class of 2022

Through helping out at the FLL competition, I learned so much about how elementary and middle schoolers learn about the basics of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) at their age and how an FLL competition works. My main role was robot inspector, which is somewhat like TSA in airports! The inspector follows a list of requirements, like asking “How many motors and sensors do you have?”, or “Is everything that you need with you right now?”, and cannot let them go onto the playing field until they have met all the requirements. I got to know a little more about how FLL teams are structured and comparing other teams’ robots. I also got to interact with other rookies and veterans and learned about their similar experiences in FLL. Overall, volunteering at the past FLL competition has given me so many insights and I am looking forward to volunteering again.

Madison Giles Class of 2023

Bootcamp POVs

I enjoyed every single workshop I attended, but I especially enjoyed Arduino. Although I am proficient in Python, Arduino is coded in C/C++, and I liked being able to compare and contrast the two languages. Over these four days of bootcamp, I discovered that the Janksters face many challenges throughout the build season, similar to the ones I faced while competing in First Lego League. The aspect I struggled most with in Bootcamp is being able to identify which solutions of the many solutions available will be most efficient. Overall, I learned so much from the Janksters, Ms. Carrillo, Mr. Mulla, and even my fellow campers, and I am excited for the year of First Robotics Competition ahead with the Janksters.

Layla Qumsieh

Class of 2022

As one of the Bootcamp Directors, I enjoyed seeing how well everything came together and how the campers made new bonds and friendships with not only each other but with the Janksters too. Though Bootcamp ran pretty smoothly, there were a few challenges. One of them is that the majority of the Janksters helping out were Sophomores who didn't have as much teaching experience as the upperclassman, but with guidance from the mentors, Juniors, and Seniors that were there, I am proud that we Sophomores have blossomed into more responsible and knowledgeable leaders. For me personally, I had to do jobs that I considered menial and unpleasant, instead of the more fun jobs. Although, by doing them, I learned that grunt work was especially crucial to the success of Bootcamp, and even though it's hard, you just have to keep a positive attitude and put your 100% into everything that you do. I also realized that there's more to hosting an event that meets the eye, that leadership requires a lot of hard work, and that you don't need a title to be a leader.

Risha Shetty

Class of 2021

This was my third year at Boot Camp and my second year teaching workshops for it. This year, I led the Arduino workshop and the driving workshop. In the Arduino workshop, we taught the campers how to wire and code Arduinos to perform certain tasks, such as lighting up LEDs. In the driving workshop, we set up three of our robots (Chris, Kyle, and Lola) and taught the campers about them and how to drive them. My favorite part about Boot Camp was teaching the incoming freshmen in those workshops since it let me get to know them better and it gave me experience leading workshops.

Srija Ponna

Class of 2020

Robot Reveal Night POVs

Robot Reveal Night was a chance to see everyone’s hard work come together. My parents and friends had finally gotten to see what I had been working on, and see how well everything turned out. I got to answer questions about my Committee and clarify any misunderstandings.

Ria Nair Class of 2021

This was my first Robot Reveal Night and I think that it was amazing. The speeches weren't like those typical, boring speeches they give at events; they were funny and attention-grabbing! Also, everyone did a good job in explaining the robot. I also liked the food!

Dania Hanif Class of 2020

Robot Reveal Night has always been incredibly eyeopening! From the speeches given by members of our own team about the six week process of building a robot, to the final reveal of a functioning and driving robot, this night is the one of the biggest events for the team. I loved the way that our parents, teachers and classmates came to support us and witness all of our hard-work paying off in the form of our extremely tall robot this year. In my opinion, this night is always a motivational boost in order to get through the last 3 days of the build season!

Zenaz Sarkari Class of 2019

RRN was a great way for us to show off the countless hours of work we put into the robot, and to teach our friends and family about what we did. It was also the first time I saw the robot move, which was pretty exciting. Since this is my last build season, it was just really amazing to see everything come together at the end.

Nikita Jagdish Class of 2018

Workshop POV

As a freshmen, this is my first time doing Robotics and the workshops would really help introduce me to what they do and how they do it.  I liked the fact that I got to experience a workshop and what a normal day in Robotics would look like. It provides you with the basic knowledge you need to join any of the committees. In electronics, I learned more about how they play a role in how a robot works and what it does. I hope to learn more about Robotics and the committees in future workshops. Go Janksters!

Zainah Masood Class of 2021

Boot Camp POVs

Bootcamp was such a fun, informative, and enriching experience! Throughout it, I attended various workshops related to committees in the robotics team. In Arduino, I was able to program and wire an LED while Janky 101 taught me about team outreach. In CAD I was able to design a 3D doughnut and in tool use, I used power tools. Overall, bootcamp really made me excited and happy to join robotics.

Grace Boulos Class of 2021

Robotics Boot Camp definitely prepared me for robotics, but also introduced me to Notre Dame. I loved how even though I was a freshman, upperclassmen started conversations with me and made sure I never felt left out. There were a lot of things I hadn't tried before, like working with power tools and using CAD software, but I had fun learning about them and felt comfortable using them by the end of the camp. Overall, the part of the boot camp I liked the most was making new friends who shared the same enthusiasm for robotics!

Leela Mukherjee Class of 2021

2016 Scavenger Hunt POV

As a leader for the Scavenger Hunt, I had many responsibilities. I wanted to win and run a lot, but making people run was not a good plan. I was proud of myself for finding a person wearing black and red and getting a picture with them, even though they only spoke Chinese. I got to practice some Chinese with this lady. This Scavenger Hunt was really fun because I got to know some of my groupmates better than I had before.

Amber KesapradistClass of 2018

The Scavenger Hunt was a nice experience. I got to bond with the people in my group, and had a great time running around downtown. I had a fun time solving the clues with everyone and rushing to our next stops. The activities at the places were entertaining.

Shivani VaziraniClass of 2020

YWES 2016

I co-directed the Young Women Engineering Symposium with another senior, Rikako, this year. Seeing all my work for the past six months finally come to life was extremely rewarding. Rikako and I worked hard to get all the speakers and spread awareness about the event so to have 10 women engineers present and close to 90 attendees was amazing. The workshops I took a glimpse at were very interesting. I attended the previous two YWES and always emerged inspired so I hope the attendees this year did too. I really wanted to provide resources and let these girls know that there is so much opportunity and potential for them in STEM and I hope they felt empowered.

Minh-Chau DoanClass of 2017

I had a fantastic time at this year's Young Women's Engineering Symposium. I took three workshops (Biomedical, Industrial, and Systems Engineering), which all were so knowledgeable, because I knew so little about these fields beforehand. I particularly liked Systems Engineering, in which I had the opportunity to hear from an employee at Intuitive Surgical who is working on the da Vinci robot.  As a senior on the team, it was great to see so many girls who are interested in STEM attending. All of the engineers really inspired me to pursue engineering as I enter college, and they gave unforgettable advice.

Rabab KarimjeeClass of 2017

Helping out at FLL

Volunteering at the First Lego League competition was an amazing experience in which I was able to bond with the other rookies and some veterans. The kids were positive and full of energy throughout the event. I was able to help in several parts, including taking photos, selling concessions, and helping with inspections. I went out of my comfort zone by talking to new people about their robots, all while having a fun time. Even though I was there for a long shift, the time flew by and I look forward to helping at FLL next year.

Elizabeth FernandesClass of 2020

As a new veteran my experience was different and interesting, and some of the roles I took on were things I never even realized had to be done. The new task that I had at the Intel FLL Tournament was being a field-resetter. At first when I saw that I was going to be doing an important job like this, I was honestly kind of worried. From experience in FRC I knew that this was a really important job and I was afraid I might mess something up by accident. When it was time for my shift to began, I went over to the competition field table, and seeing so many various lego constructions on that table, moving and being shuffled around every two minutes... did not reassure me. However like everything in FIRST and robotics in general, it seems scary but you honestly need to get used to it– and I did. After a few games of the referees showing me what to reset and look out for on the field, I got used to what I was doing and immediately began loving field reset. Ridding myself of those worries also gave me the chance to look at the brilliant FLL robots that each of the teams built and programmed, and it was very fascinating to see how the game challenge worked! (Also as field reset, I got to watch the games up close and in perfect view) In the end this year's FLL tournament went great for all the teams competing, for the Janksters, and especially for me as I got to take on a new role and enjoy the tournament.

Shreya BasireddyClass of 2019

At this year’s FLL competition, I was mentoring and coaching the Neon Nargals, an FLL team that Yashna and I started for our senior project.  Since this was their very first competition, they were all excited to present their themed project, compete with their robot, and show off their core values. The team learned a lot from competing, and they are very eager to implement new changes to the robot and to their themed project presentation.  One of the best parts of the day was during the awards ceremony when the team won the Core Values award and a ticket to advance to regionals.

Paulina RoblesClass of 2017

Recognition Luncheon

The event started with food—including a delicious make-your-own taco bar—and student leaders giving overviews on how the build season went and why we appreciate all the help we receive. We also watched videos that were full of hilarity and sincerity. My mother even received a special recognition for all her help with coordinating food and meals throughout the build and competition season. Overall, the event went very smoothly and I appreciate how it is a final transition for the graduating seniors to be recognized one more time for all their hard work in robotics.

Gillian McGinnisClass of 2018

WWRF Workshop

During the WWRF workshops, I only attended one workshop, 3D Printing - Getting Good Prints out of Printrbots. When I came into the workshop, I didn't know anything about 3D printing. During the workshop, they taught us things like how make the object to print, how the printrbot works, and what to and not to do while printing. We also learned about how to get the most desirable prints. Overall, the worksop helped me out a lot. I'm still not an expert on the subject, but I do know a lot more than when I started out.

Naina ManojClass of 2019

I attended the Intro to Java Programming Workshop and the Strategic Design for Build Season Workshop. As a member of the mechanical committee and having never before programmed, the Java workshop was full of new and confusing things. Thank God I had Kimberly Zhang, the most amazing programmer, sitting right next to me to help me through it all. The second workshop I attended was mostly ideas and concepts that I was preciously familiar with, so I was more comfortable and I could help rookies to learn more. Overall, the workshop experience was extremely fun and one that I will never forget.

Camille Miller

Class of 2016

Young Women's Engineering Symposium

The Young Women’s Engineering Symposium was a great way to meet and hear the stories of different female professional engineers.  The women were all very inspiring to listen to, and I loved hearing the advice they gave us.  My favorite workshop (if I had to choose) would be the robotics engineering workshop.  The women showed off the robot they created named Relay, who is a used as a delivery service for guests at multiple hotels.  Relay is able to maneuver around a hotel and deliver items to hotel guests.  Overall, the symposium was a hit and I can’t wait to meet more female engineers next year!

Paulina RoblesClass of 2017

YWES gave me my first opportunity to get a feel of the engineering possibilities, and I am so glad I decided to go. I came to the event not knowing anything about the workshops I decided to attend, but I left with new knowledge of the three careers I had heard about. The first one, Biomedical Engineering, exposed me to how engineering and biology are combined into one super cool job that allows engineers to be superheroes by inventing multitudes of medical devices that work to keep people alive and healthy. I was also introduced to the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and their program SWENext for young girls looking into a future in engineering. In my second workshop, Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering, I heard about some gender bias that occurs out in the field and also had the oppurtunity to look at some interesting projects that the speaker, Kat, has worked on, including US Navy submarines and NASA rockets. In my third workshop, I got to meet the cute hospitality robot Relay and it's creators from the new company, Savioke, who explained their prototyping process, what they had to do to make it more human-friendly, and the algorithms needed to make Relay a successful robot in the hotel hospitality business. The event as a whole increased my interest in engineering, and I know that every time I consider what I want to pursue in college and as a career, I will look back on this event and remember everything that I heard and learned.

Miranda GodinezClass of 2018

Intel's FLL

FLL was one of my first experiences being a part of the robotics team and I had the most amazing time. I worked at making buttons, and so many kids wanted to draw their own pins; I felt like they had so much fun as well. When I walked around and saw how excited the kids were about showing off their pins, I had the biggest smile. In addition to making buttons, I helped out with the concessions and it was cute seeing the children debate over which candy robot they wanted. By the time I went home, I felt accomplished. Although FLL has all your attention on the kids for long shifts, I look forward to participating in FLL next year.

Tani PhamClass of 2018

It was great to see all the kids so enthusiastic about being able to drive the robot. I was also able to talk to some adults about our robot, its mechanisms, and our process throughout build season. The FLL tournament gave me more experience in talking about the robot in a way that anyone, even kids, could understand. Overall, the event had a variety of opportunities and fun activities for both children and adults to learn about robotics.

Nikita JagdishClass of 2018

October Projects

The October project was a great way for me to get to know the rookies and to prepare my mind for build season. I was amazed to see the different projectors that each group came up with even when give the same goal. After interacting with the rookies and girls from other committees, I am definitely more excited to see how everyone's unique and creative thoughts will be applied to this years game. This project benefited me as it was a tiny refresher of the process of build season.

Kimberly ZhangClass of 2017

It’s not easy having a million ideas in your head and only one month to take one idea, build it, and make it work. When the team was told that we had three weeks to brainstorm and build something that could shoot a specific ball for a certain number of feet away, I was so excited. I was paired up with two other rookies and two veterans to shoot a ping-pong ball at least 4 feet away, and I immediately thought the idea of a catapult. Our prototype worked pretty well, so the veterans in the group suggested that we should rebuild it out of metal and maybe use a piston. Building the final was quite stressful since we almost ran out of time in learning about angle brackets to connect extrusions. Unfortunately our final presentation and run didn’t work as well as we hoped since the piston was a new concept; however, I’m still glad that I got to work on this project, because I made tons of great memories and friends with the other veterans and rookies. After October, I’m really pumped to learn and work more in the Mechanical Committee. I never would have guessed that robotics would be the thing for me, but now I’m sure.

Shreya BasireddyClass of 2019

I had an amazing time working on the October projects. I’m new to the team and this was my first time. It really helped me adjust to being on the team. At first I was embarrassed that I didn’t understand what the veterans were actually talking about, but after working with them I was able to ask for help understanding things when I needed to. I realized later how important brainstorming is, because the machine would not have worked out as well without all of the planning. When we started prototyping, there were also challenges, such as constant testing, retesting, reforming, and at one point, we changed the method of how we were going to shoot the ball altogether. I feel this really prepared me for build season, because I’ve heard its really stressful and that week is so crucial because thats when most of the work is done.In the end our project turned out so well, and we even finished early.

Naomi DasariClass of 2018

Robot Reveal Night

Robot reveal night is the day the team is able to show off what we worked on during the 6 weeks of build season. Because I am the Electronics Committee Lead, I explained to the audience what my committee members did during the 6 weeks. It was the first time I talked in front of a huge audience and it was very nerve wracking. This opportunity helped me get over my fear of public speaking.The most memorable moment that night was seeing the robot stack totes for the first time. Because was not working on the robot the last couple of days, I had not seen the new mechanisms that had been added onto the robot. I was surprised at how well our robot could stack the totes and am so excited for the regional!

Rikako ShimizuClass of 2017

Toys for Tots

Recently, many Janksters went to the Toys for Tots event on December 21 to help out with giving out toys to families. I worked as a table organizer but served as a toy runner when the other members took a break. I was surprised by the sea of toys in the area that had and had not been sorted. I also never knew that figuring out the proper places for toys required so much thinking until after participating in this event. It was very fun and exhilarating to rush around trying to find the toys the families wanted while I was a toy runner. Even though I went home with dusty hands from the toys and sore feet from rushing around, I was happy to have contributed to such a good cause. Overall, I think the event was a success, and I will definitely volunteer at this event next year!

Jasmine LeeClass of 2018

This past Sunday, a couple of us Janksters went to the Santa Clara Fairgrounds to participate in Toys for Tots. Let me say this, I have never seen so many gifts or happy kids in my life before. Take Target times 3 and ringing ears of joy, that is what this experience felt like. Some of us were choosing gifts in the background and the rest  of us were delivering gifts on the other side of the curtain. I think it’s safe to say that for the people behind the curtain, we loved hearing the kids squeal with joy. For the people handing the gifts, I bet they loved watching kids’ faces stretch as they smile. I definitely look forward to doing this again. It only makes the holidays happier.

Anisha PatelClass of 2016

FLL Tournament

I had so much fun and an overall amazing time at FLL. I loved all the team work that the Janksters showed, and I enjoyed seeing how involved the kids wanted to be. When I saw how excited the kids were to drive our robot or catch the ball, I had on the biggest smile. Some of the shifts that I worked included our concession stand, and our demo area. By the time that I went home each day, I was so happy, and felt accomplished. Even though FLL can be tiring because of the long shifts or focusing all your energy on the kids, I look forward to participating in FLL next year.

Stephanie BoyerClass of 2017

Recently, the Janksters went to the FLL Tournament at Intel where we sold concessions, demonstrated our robots, and assisted with the matches. I worked at the coffee station (which was very popular for the adults) at first, then went on to be the time keeper for the competition. It was interesting to meet so many people at the coffee stand, and be able to see the competition up close as a timer. I also noticed that the children in the groups were overall very accepting with their score. For instance, I heard a young girl say something along the lines of, “It’s okay; we can fix it and do better next time!” My shift ended after a pizza lunch, but the competition took up the rest of the day and the next day as well. I believe that the FLL Tournament was a huge success, and it was fascinating to learn more about how the younger generation is getting involved in the STEM field with something we all know and love: Legos!

Gillian McGinnisClass of 2018

Thursday Workshop

This was our first meeting where we met in the afternoon instead of right after school.  It was fun to eat dinner with the team and get taught by the mentors in the different workshops.  In my workshop, I went with Mr. Miller to Lowe’s to look at the different supplies and resources we can use while building the robot.  One thing we looked at were rivets, which would be an alternative way to put something together like the chassis.  I had so much fun wandering around the store with my friends and singing songs in the car on the way there and back.  Looking at the things we could possibly use to make our robot with and goofing off with friends from our team really got me pumped for the build season coming up!

Lauren SchirleClass of 2017 

Workshop on Scratch

Learning Scratch from Ms. Duffin, Notre Dame’s technology, engineering, and design program head, was quite the experience. I entered the workshop, not really knowing what to expect. In fact, I thought Scratch was pretty sketch. I also wasn’t sure how dragging differently colored rectangles had anything to do with programming. As I experimented more on Scratch (using the tutorial), I saw that it had extreme relevance to programming, especially the logic aspect of it. We had some technology problems at first as one should expect from Notre Dame’s brilliant technology but I learned a lot and greatly enjoyed the workshop. I feel confident in my ability to help others on Notre Dame’s Hour of Code Day and look forward to it.

Minh-Chau DoanClass of 2017

I had a blast learning how to use the program Scratch.  Everyone played around on Scratch to figure out the basics themselves, and everyone enjoyed looking at what other people had done in the end.  We all had a laugh putting together backgrounds and sprites and strange noises to form images and stories.  At the end of the session, everyone put together a pirate story.  Using the images that were given to us, we individually made a story or interactive game with Scratch.  Although everyone was at first somewhat uneasy about learning a new form of programming, especially those of us who had no experience whatsoever, we all had a great time playing around with it.  I am sure we are all more eager to learn about programming by the end of this year.

Miyo ImaiClass of 2018

Workshop on Scratch

Learning Scratch from Ms. Duffin, Notre Dame’s technology, engineering, and design program head, was quite the experience. I entered the workshop, not really knowing what to expect. In fact, I thought Scratch was pretty sketch. I also wasn’t sure how dragging differently colored rectangles had anything to do with programming. As I experimented more on Scratch (using the tutorial), I saw that it had extreme relevance to programming, especially the logic aspect of it. We had some technology problems at first as one should expect from Notre Dame’s brilliant technology but I learned a lot and greatly enjoyed the workshop. I feel confident in my ability to help others on Notre Dame’s Hour of Code Day and look forward to it.

Minh-Chau DoanClass of 2017

I had a blast learning how to use the program Scratch.  Everyone played around on Scratch to figure out the basics themselves, and everyone enjoyed looking at what other people had done in the end.  We all had a laugh putting together backgrounds and sprites and strange noises to form images and stories.  At the end of the session, everyone put together a pirate story.  Using the images that were given to us, we individually made a story or interactive game with Scratch.  Although everyone was at first somewhat uneasy about learning a new form of programming, especially those of us who had no experience whatsoever, we all had a great time playing around with it.  I am sure we are all more eager to learn about programming by the end of this year.

Miyo ImaiClass of 2018

Scratch Workshop

Learning Scratch from Ms. Duffin, Notre Dame’s technology, engineering, and design program head, was quite the experience. I entered the workshop, not really knowing what to expect. In fact, I thought Scratch was pretty sketch. I also wasn’t sure how dragging differently colored rectangles had anything to do with programming. As I experimented more on Scratch (using the tutorial), I saw that it had extreme relevance to programming, especially the logic aspect of it. We had some technology problems at first as one should expect from Notre Dame’s brilliant technology but I learned a lot and greatly enjoyed the workshop. I feel confident in my ability to help others on Notre Dame’s Hour of Code Day and look forward to it.

– Minh-Chau DoanClass of 2017

I had a blast learning how to use the program Scratch.  Everyone played around on Scratch to figure out the basics themselves, and everyone enjoyed looking at what other people had done in the end.  We all had a laugh putting together backgrounds and sprites and strange noises to form images and stories.  At the end of the session, everyone put together a pirate story.  Using the images that were given to us, we individually made a story or interactive game with Scratch.  Although everyone was at first somewhat uneasy about learning a new form of programming, especially those of us who had no experience whatsoever, we all had a great time playing around with it.  I am sure we are all more eager to learn about programming by the end of this year.

– Miyo ImaiClass of 2018