Pinewood Robotics has been thriving under the leadership of the Class of 2025’s seniors for the past school year. The program has grown considerably while they have been in charge, and the effects of this growth will remain for years to come. As seniors Leo Shang, Jared Bowman, and Julianne Ting prepare to leave the program, their leadership and presence will be sorely missed. Despite their departure, excitement is strong within the club for the next season and those after.
Shang joined robotics during his sophomore year, finding the engineering aspects of the club appealing. Over time, Shang learned about the engineering process, including the cycle of prototyping and building as well as the teamwork required to make a successful product in a given timeframe.
“It’s one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had,” Shang said.
Shang largely contributed to the hardware side of the team. He invested hundreds of hours into the program, making the concepts for multiple critical mechanisms by finding clever and unique solutions to the problems he was presented with.
Bowman joined the club in his freshman year, first discovering robotics at Middle Campus during a presentation of that year’s robot. When Bowman made it to high school, he joined the program.
“It’s really great to be able to work with other people who are committed to the club,” Bowman said.
Bowman was extremely dedicated and spent countless hours working on both the hardware and software aspects of the team. Notably, he built the foundation of their software, including the code for the swerve drive of the robot.
Ting joined in her freshman year after the club fair. Knowing little about robotics, she saw it as the perfect opportunity to learn. Ting worked on hardware as well as management and planning. During her time leading the club’s logistics, she improved communication, project management, and problem solving.
“I like being able to collaborate,” Ting said. “I like being in a leadership role. I like passing down my knowledge to underclassmen, because I found these things generally very useful.”
Ting’s work on the logistical side of robotics, although challenging, was critical to the success of the program.
Outside of their importance in the mechanics of the team, the three captains contributed massively to the warm and supportive atmosphere of the club.
“A highlight of my time mentoring is teaching all of them and having the chance to work with them,” Andrew Zerbe, a mentor of the club said.
