Meet Team INQUISITOR

Kevin Tran:

Hello! I am Kevin Tran, a junior at La Cueva High School. Currently I am vice president of PeacePals and the Esports team at my school. I have also been president of a student safety club, and am currently leading the 55885X team. This is my first year in the VEX robotics program, and it has been a great experience! For this team, I have helped in many places in the building process. In the beginning stages, I helped in research the different types of robots that could be built from vacuums to four bars. After deciding as a team that we would like to build a four bar, I worked closely with Alyssa to start working out the basic design of the lift mechanism. I also assisted Andrew when he began the task of building a custom claw. The introduction of a robotics team at my school allowed me to finally be able to apply the math and science knowledge to a real world problem. The program has also given me the opportunity to work in a really fun environment and allow me to build new friendships.

Binh Waldorf

Hi! My name is Binh Waldorf and I am in 12th grade. I have volunteered many times for different clubs. I tutor other students in all grades in mostly math and science courses. I have been playing the cello since 6th grade, and have been enjoying music and playing it since then. I was accepted into the All State Music program. I also really enjoy working with friends in robotics. I programmed the robot that my team designed and built for each competition. I created multiple keybindings for the diver to make it easier to perform entire actions while driving during each round. I also wrote the code for the autonomous program allowing our robot to score several points without the need of diver input. Furthermore, I also helped build different parts of the robot where we needed more people, and also when we needed to build a portion of the robot quicker. Doing all this in highschool will help me get ahead in computer science, and in engineering. I am learning how to code the robot we make, which will be an important skill in the engineering field.

Andrew Zhang:

Greetings and Salutations! I’m Andrew Zhuang and I’m a junior attending La Cueva High School. I participate in a myriad of clubs and activities. I’ve competed in Science Olympiad regional and state competitions this year and last year, receiving multiple rewards from each competition. I’m also a varsity debater, debating in numerous Speech and Debate tournaments. I’ve also been an active member of the Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program for 5 years. Even though it’s my first year in VEX robotics, I already love working with the great team in robotics. Throughout the process of constructing the four bar robot, I’ve helped build multiple parts of the robot and aided its development. I’ve made various improvements to the claw in order to increase grip strength and efficiency. In addition to that, I’ve also helped with bringing fine adjustments to the lift and the intake of the four bar. I mainly write in the notebook and provide ideas along with observations to assist my team in brainstorming and improving our robot. I really enjoy working hard with the 55885X team while learning passionately about robotics and its mechanical technicalities.

Alyssa Yoon:

Hi! I’m Alyssa Yoon and I’m a junior at La Cueva High School. I’ve been in camerata since freshman year and I am the historian for the orchestra program this year. I have also been in the Science Olympiad since last year and have received a few regional awards. I played school tennis during my freshman and sophomore year and have been in a few tournaments. Other things I have been involved in include Peace Pals, Albuquerque Youth Symphony, All-State, and Speech and Debate. This is my first year in VEX Robotics and I mainly worked on the robot for the 55885X team. I’ve worked on the lift with Kevin to make sure it is stable and smooth. I provide strategies our team can employ during rounds that are specific to our 4-bar. Robotics will set me forward in STEM because it has enabled me to get hands-on experience in engineering and grow other valuable skills. Participating in robotics will definitely help me in the future with my career and it is a great opportunity that applies different aspects of STEM.