Co-founding a FIRST LEGO League team at age eight began a five-year journey that introduced me to engineering, problem-solving, and teamwork. As our robots grew more complex, I taught myself simple 3D modeling to help the team plan attachments and mechanisms. In 8th grade, I mentored younger teammates (grade 6) in coding and basic mechanics, reinforcing the FLL value of Inclusion.

Our team ultimately qualified for the State Championship, but the most important part of FLL was learning how to iterate ideas, test quickly, and collaborate effectively. These experiences built the foundation for the mechanical design, CAD iteration, and system-level thinking I now bring to FIRST Tech Challenge projects.