Meet Team SKETCH

Luke Helm:

Hi, my name is Luke Helm and I am a high school Sophomore. One of my accomplishments outside of school include going to multiple national baseball tournaments. On the 55885S robot, I have worked on the robot base, making the best possible intakes, along with the tray tilt. I have also helped brainstorm ways to build the tray. Additionally, I am one of the drivers. Robotics has provided me with many critical thinking skills and has helped me to better understand the engineering process. Robotics has provided me with a good friend group with friendships that will stick with me the rest of my life. Robotics has improved my mental state by giving me a place I can go to get my mind working in an area I enjoy.

Grant Staten:

Hello, my name is Grant Staten and I am a freshman in high school. In middle School I went to mathcounts Nationals 2 years in a row, placing 71st in my 8th grade year, and I got New Mexico stem student of the year for K - 8 in 2019. I mainly worked on the programming for the robot. I focused on error reduction for autonomous control. I also filled in for drivers. Robotics has increased my knowledge of applications of computer science, calculus, mechanics, and other areas. The robotics club has formed many friendships that have continued in areas other than just robotics. Robotics has been a great way to spend free time in a way where I can learn.

Nathan Bryce:

Hello, my name is Nathan Bryce. I am a senior, and I have competed in VEX Robotics for four years. Outside of school I run my own drone photography company called BryFly Drone. This year, I have served as the project manager for La Cueva Robotics. I have instructed all team members on the basics of building and programming a VEX robot. The best part of this season has been watching my friends grow as future engineers. As a result of my love of VEX Robotics, I plan on majoring in mechanical engineering and pursuing a job in the electrical car industry.

Mario Sumali:

Hi. I’m Mario Sumali, Sophomore attending La Cueva High School. I’m the captain of the La Cueva Science Bowl team and the State swimming champion. I have worked on the intake and tray for the vacuum modifying the spacing and specifying it to meet size constraints. I enjoy robotics as it is an outlet for all creativity, technicality, and collaboration. Robotics amalgamates the finesse and knowledge gained from a variety of classes we are fortunate to have at La Cueva - incorporating CAD, computer science, calculus, physics, and numerous more STEM associated activities. Furthermore, it builds communication, ingenuity, and artistry with its broad concepts. I enjoy robotics because I can employ my knowledge and develop life-long skills, all the while having fun and making new friends.

Jeffrey Yang

Hello! My name is Jeffrey Yang, and I am a freshman this year at La Cueva High School. One of my accomplishments outside of school are attending a variety of clubs, including Science Bowl, Science Olympiad, Speech and Debate, Model UN, Robotics, Key Club, and I am also doing an ISEF science project with two of my other friends. I joined robotics late in the year, starting in the second semester. However, I was a builder for the 55885S robot, and I mainly just built many small but important parts of the robot. These included modifying the intakes, building the kick out wheel to prevent tipping, modifying the tray, and building part of the expanded tray. Robotics will help me in my future career because it helps me with planning designs, coding, and writing and documenting our progress. This is used in modern-day engineering and computer science, which is something I want to major in. I enjoy robotics because it connects me with other people in the club, and I get a chance to work on an actual robot.