Programming Lead and Teaching Assistant for an FTC robotics team, working on robot software, control systems, localization, computer vision, and helping other students turn engineering concepts into competition-ready code.
From August 2022 through May 2026, I served as the Programming Lead and Teaching Assistant for FTC Team 18064 Flex Capacitors at Legacy Preparatory Christian Academy.
The role combined software development with hands-on engineering and mentorship. I worked on the systems that allowed the robot to move reliably, understand its position, and react to information from sensors and cameras while also teaching other students how those systems worked.
One of the major areas I learned, implemented, and taught was PID control. Working with feedback-based control gave me practical experience connecting mathematical concepts to physical robot behavior.
I also worked with odometry and localization, developing a stronger understanding of how a robot can estimate its position and use that information to execute movement accurately.
I learned and implemented AI-based computer vision for FTC robotics. This added another layer to the robot's decision-making by allowing software to use visual information alongside traditional sensors and control systems.
The experience helped me understand the practical challenges of integrating perception with autonomous robot behavior.
FTC was where I developed much of my practical experience with Java and Git. Robotics programming required frequent iteration: write code, test it on a physical robot, identify unexpected behavior, adjust the implementation, and test again.
That workflow taught me to think beyond whether code simply compiles. Software had to behave predictably on real hardware, under time pressure, and in situations where small errors could affect an entire autonomous routine or match.
As a Teaching Assistant, I helped other students learn the concepts behind the team's software rather than treating the code as a black box. I taught PID control, odometry, computer vision, Java programming, and practical Git workflows.
I collaborated with other students to compete successfully at state and regional levels, gaining experience working as part of a technical team in a highly competitive environment.
FTC also introduced me to the reality of engineering under constraints: limited build time, changing requirements, imperfect hardware, and the need to make reliable decisions quickly.
FTC gave me an early opportunity to combine software, mathematics, electronics, mechanical systems, and teamwork into one project. More importantly, it taught me how to learn a technical concept deeply enough to implement it and then explain it to someone else.
That combination of building, debugging, teaching, and competing continues to shape the way I approach engineering projects today.