The team
We're a team of innovators that build robots with odometrical drivetrains and pull apart faulty computer batteries. We code in C++, Java, and HTML. We filmed a promotional video, and designed a new VEX Robotics piece.
This is our second year taking part in the VEX robotics challenges, and we look forward to competing in many more to come.
Andreas McClintock
Andreas, a freshman at Laguna Blanca, has been avidly doing Robotics for 3 years after coming from Montecito Union School.
He joined the Laguna Robotics Team due to his love of engineering. He can code in Java, C++, and HTML/CSS, and designs in CAD. His work ethic allows him to keep everyone on track.
He is currently helping with the CAD Design challenge and this website.
In his free time, he plays cello in Santa Barbara Youth Symphony and soccer with Legends Academy.
Eka Nayak
A freshman, Eka has been at Laguna Blanca for 3 years, and has been involved in the Robotics program for two of them.
He joined the Laguna Robotics Team because he loves to design and build complex robots, use CAD software, and compete in the online challenges VEX provides.
He is working on dismantling a shuttle desktop for the Electronics Online challenge, and is also helping with the filming, writing, and creation of the promotional video.
In his free time, he enjoys going to the beach and playing with his dogs.
Gabriel Lea
Gabriel is a Freshman at Laguna Blanca, and has been doing Robotics for two years.
He joined the Laguna Robotics Team because he loves to design and build complex robots, use CAD software, and compete in the online challenges VEX provides.
He is working on dismantling a shuttle desktop for the Electronics Online challenge, and is also helping with the filming, writing, and creation of the promotional video.
In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and going in the ocean
Noah Olorin
Noah, a freshman at Laguna Blanca, has been in the Robotics program for 2 years.
He joined the Laguna Robotics Team because he wanted a more project based learning experience that slowly developed into a complete idea. He loves designing blueprints and the roadmaps of a project.
He spearheaded the creation of this website, and also helped write the CAD design script.
In his free time, he enjoys reading, writing poetry, doing yoga, and playing guitar.
Lucas Acosta
Lucas, a freshman, has been doing robotics at Laguna Blanca for 2 years.
He joined the team because he wanted to learn more about robotics and challenge himself with something new. He is working on the website challenge, the promotional video challenge. He also filmed the video for the autonomous program of our robot for the ChangeUp competition. His favorite part of these processes are fixing the mistakes that show up during creation.
In his free time, he enjoys math, engineering, and cooking.
Griffon Rick
A freshman, this is Griffin's first year at Laguna Blanca, but he's been doing robotics for four years
He joined the Laguna Robotics Team because he likes building things, and wanted to take that to the next level. He is working on designing and manufacturing a new Vex part, and is also deconstructing a pair of headphones for the Electronics Online challenge.
In his free time, he plays beach volleyball, bass guitar in a band, and he likes to read.
Jake Gidney
Jake, a freshman at Laguna, has been doing robotics for two years.
He joined the Laguna Robotics Team because there were many things that he could learn from it, and it was a good leadership experience. He is the primary contributor to the coding, building, and execution of our robot, Roko's Basilisk. He created the autonomous program of the robot.
In his free time, he likes to do more robotics; he can code proficiently in many languages, and is familiar with many of the CAD design software.
Harrison Jones
Harrison is a junior at Laguna Blanca, and has been doing Robotics with Laguna for four years.
He joined the Laguna team because he believed he could help with his experience working with hardware. He's always loved working with his hands, and is adept in both construction and soldering.
He's working on the CAD design challenge, creating a new piece for VEX.
In his free time, he likes to study astronomy, and go surfing and camping.
Not every student is given the opportunity to create; and a lot of students don't like doing it at all. This is because of how the school system is arranged.
Too often, assigned work from an academic institution is only viewed by students as a necessary requirement to get good grades.
The Laguna Robotics Team thinks that necessity shouldn't be the prerequisite for curiosity. We believe that project based learning can allow students a fuller expression of themselves, while still teaching the material.
Our understanding of the world, and our ability to change it for the better directly correlates to our willingness to solve problems with creative solutions.
The issues of today's world are serious, and we can't go back in time to fix our previous mistakes (yet!).
We have to look to the future. To the wondrous things that this generation will invent, and create, and come up with to resolve these problems.
But we can't grow as a species if we don't allow our students the chance to make something brilliant.
We can't grow as a species unless we give them the freedom to make mistakes for the greater purpose of learning how to think creatively.
