I am in my fifth year at Highland Tech High School. I was on the 2007-robotics teams as part of the animation section, though I also helped out with some fabrication. I joined the robotics team because I discovered that it was an excellent learning opportunity and enjoy working with technology. For the 2008 FRC season I'm the co-captain of the Highlanders and specifically work with the electrical components and wiring. One thing that I am looking forward to this year is the San Jose regional. For the previous years the Highlanders have gone to the Las Vegas regional, so hopefully this will be another great experience.
Team Captain
Position: Head of Electrical
I am a junior at Highland Tech, and this is my third year participating in the FIRST robotics competition. I have been a proud member of our team since we started in 2005. I have always worked primarily on the building and design of our robots, and this year I am honored to lead the fabrication effort.
Team Captain
Position: Head of Fabrication
Hi I'm Robert, and I am a Junior at Highland Tech. This is my fifth year here. I am on the robotics team because it's a fun experience that has lots of rewards educationally, and knew that I would learn a lot from working on the team. I am also very experienced in the field of technology. Some hobbies of mine are motocross racing, downhill skiing and taking apart computers.
Position: Head of Web Design, Computer Admin, and Blog Site
I have been on the robtics team for two years now, and this year I will be programing the robot. I joined the robotics team because it sounded like something interesting, and I felt that I could productively contribute to the team. I have been attending Highland Tech for 3 years now. I am also a part of the Linux user group since the Friday meetings began.
Position: Head Programmer
This will be my fourth year in the FRC program, and I have recently volunteered at the FLL competition for the third time in a row. This year will be my final in being an actual member on a FIRST team as I am graduating soon, but it is my wish to continue to have activity in the FIRST community. My experience in the FRC program has been in many of the categories, including to at least some extent the Fabrication, Programming, Animation, and my usual primary job, knowing whether we are allowed to have nuclear weaponry installed on the robot (AKA Walking Rulebook). My favorite part of the FIRST programs is the extent to which they carry the concept of Gracious Professionalism, which I now incorporate into my everyday activities, and attempt to spread as far as I can. This concept wonderfully enlightens on how to treat everyone in life, even and especially your competition.
Position: Rules
Updated Bio Coming Soon
Rachel is a fourth year student at Highland Tech High. This will be her first year on the robotics team. Rachel has been interested in prehistoric animals, and from that brings an innate knowledge of biology to the table of Robotics. She is knowledgeable in biological methods of movement and functions, and able to incorporate them into technology. Rachel fancies herself an imaginative female, and despite her current inexperience with robotics in particular, her history with electronics has been lengthy and fulfilling, filled with multiple incidents of computer repair and the occasional disassembling of computers in order to learn more about their functions. Rachel's favorite subject is Science, followed by Writing. Her least favorite subject is Math. Rachel is more then willing to learn, and hopes to assist her team to victory in the Robotics competition.
Position: Head of Animation
My name is David Kerlin and I have been in the Robotics program for a year now. I joined the team because I thought it was something that could help me learn more about how and why things work and because I'd be using software that could be in useful in future careers. Last year, I worked on the animation that our team presented and this year I chose a different path. I’m now helping out in the programming of the actual robot because I wanted to see what causes the robot functions through a programmer’s perspective.
Position: Programmer
Hi my name is Brandon and I am a freshman. I am the head of pneumatics which is under fabrication. The reason I joined robotics is because I love hands on things. I am looking forward to wining the national so I can get a scholarship.
Position: Fabrication
I’m a freshman at Highland Tech High and I’m also new to Highland. This is my first year in robotics. I’m on the animation team. I love playing video games and love to draw. So, I thought of how to do that on the computer. That’s why I thought of joining the robotics team.
My days in animation were awesome, let alone of all of the things we had to learn about animating. Some were frustrating, others were somewhat good, and the rest were just great to know. I’m starting to like animation. Working on the computer, saving my work, and learning some new things about animation.
Position: Animation
Why hello there. The name is Shaun Brady. Regardless of the fact that I’m am a returning
student to Highland, this is my first year as a Robotics member. I tend to imagine things, in a bizarre way sometimes, and so, I wanted to use this for animation purposes, which might describe my current role. My hobbies include some gaming here and there. Well, that and a bit of cooking.
My impression about animation is, well, in progress. It was rather interesting, with a bit of trial and error. Working with this tool of technology has brought me great moments, as well as some stressful moments. Regardless, I tend to use this until the end.
Position: Animation
Hi, I am Raven Mills, a student at Highland Tech High. I have gone to Highland Tech High for a total of two years. This will be my first year working with our Robotics team, however a friend from my first year has had experience and I am now currently working with that person and a few others in Animation. In my free time I am an avid videogame player and enjoy reading a good fiction novel.
Working in Animation has been an interesting experience. I have never actually dabbled in Animation until this year, so it has been rewarding, if not stressful. I am still progressing, but I am happy with what I have done so far. Soon, our team shall put our skills to the test in The First Robotics Competition.
Position: Animation
My name is Garrett Rodgers and I am part of fabrication in robotics at Highland Tech. I’m a rookie here and I’m still in the learning stage but I have a lot of ideas that I contribute to the team and I am basically a helper and do what I can.
I became interested in robotics because I love the mechanics of the parts and I’m fascinated with building things that actually have a purpose. I hope that I am part of robotics for the rest of my years at Highland and I really enjoy being a part of something bigger. This feels like a good year for us even though it’s my first. We’ll let you know if we win and hope to see you at Champions table. Til then bye-bye!!!!
Position: Fabrication
I am a 3rd year student at Highland Tech and this is my first year on the robotics team. I'm in 10th grade and I'm most interested in engineering/computer sciences. My team role is working on fabrication. I play hockey and the guitar... just some of my many talents. My favorite flavor of ice cream in mint w/berries (just a little useless fact). I hope I have a ton of fun in robotics this year!
Position: Fabrication
My name Is Andrew Hurst and this is my first year on the robotics team. So far I have discovered that this is a high paced hard working team. It takes quite a bit of work to keep up with this pace, but I find this to be an enjoyable class therefore making it much, much easier. Everyone on the team is friendly and considerate and, they’re always ready to lend a helping hand. I like to assist in the problem solving area, and working with my hands. From the looks of how things are going right now, this should be an interesting class to follow up on.
Position: Fabrication
Roxy Kohler is a teacher at Highland Tech High School. As the team coach at HTH, she enjoys watching the students learn and create, problem solve, resolve conflicts with respect and dignity and just have fun.
Terry has been involved with the 2005, 2007 and 2008 Highland Tech Robotics Team as a Chaparone/Mentor. "After learning what the First Competition was all about and seeing what it does for the students, I wanted to stay involved". Watching first hand the on-the-fly troubleshooting, problem solving, teamwork, cooperation, trial-and-error fabrication successes and failures, and the computer work that our kids go through on a daily basis is one of the MOST rewarding projects that I have been involved with. I can't say enough about what it's like to watch these kids learn, grow, and florish in the IT, fabrication, teamwork, science and gratious professionalist enviroment. That has to be near the top of my list of favorite memories. When you throw in the fact that I get to do this with my son, well it just doesn't get better than that.
Lon Lyford came to Alaska in 1974 from Montana. For twenty years Lon worked as a telecommunications engineer for Arco before starting his own company in 2001. As CEO and President of Beta Telecommunications Lon works as an engineering consultant, fabricator and machine worker. A past project of Lon's was building a robot to retrieve a fiber optic cable laying machine that was jammed in a pipe. For the past two years Lon has been working on Mini K transporters for ALMR at North Slope Telecoms shop. One of Lon's long time hobbies are creating radio controlled helicopters and airplanes.
Dave has been involved in robotics in Alaska since 2000 with the first FIRST team in the state. As the founder of the Alaska Robotics Education Association, he is committed to getting more students across the state excited about scince, technology, and engineering. Dave's backround in engineering has provided insight to the team in constructing the robot, and he has worked to provide the team the resources we need to get the job done.