Meet the Team
2018 - 2019

LIZZIE LAU ~ Co-Team Captain
Programmer ⚘  3rd year ⚘ Gabrielino High School ⚘  11th grade

Who are you (what do you want to be when you grow up) Soon after Lizzie joined FIRST in 6th grade, she discovered she had a knack and passion for designing robots and seeing them work on a competition field. She’s always put her best effort into robotics and has never found a reason to stop learning. Eventually, Lizzie wants to specialize in robotics surgery and minor and computer science.
What are you on the team (builder, programmer, designer, etc.):  Before joining the team, Lizzie took it upon herself to secure her understanding in Java, eventually she went on to become Javabot software captain. This year, she plans to polish her time management skills as co-team captain.
Why did you join the team:
Lizzie joined the team looking for a challenge after leading her FLL team for 3 years.
What do you like most about FIRST:
FIRST has humbled Lizzie as a person, and has shaped her into a leader with passion. Of course, Lizzie loves the engineering aspect of FIRST and how it has taught her skills that she can apply to world applications, but the lessons learned on how to work with all kinds of people is Lizzie’s most beloved aspect of FIRST.
What are your other hobbies?
​Music is an integral part of Lizzie’s character, she enjoys unfurling her fingers on keys of a piano or harp, and jamming out to Broadway showtunes. Lizzie also has 2 cats that she doesn’t especially like, but they all manage to get along under one roof, (since they all love cat naps).

​ MEGAN TRAN ~ Co-Team Captain
Builder ⚘ 5th year ⚘ ​Gabrielino High School ⚘ 12th grade

Who are you (what do you want to be when you grow up) After being in an FLL team for 2 years, Megan joined this team because she has been inspired to have a career in the STEM field, specifically engineering. FIRST has given Megan hands-on experience which allows her to learn new and exciting things that will help her get into the STEM world.
What are you on the team (builder, programmer, designer, etc.):
Throughout her four seasons Megan was a programmer, builder, Business Captain, and Build Captain for two years. Megan wants to expand her horizons and build more leadership skills as co-team captain this season.
Why did you join the team:
Megan joined this team because she had a great time on her FLL team and decided to continue with FIRST.  Megan loves the hands on experience that FIRST provides which is why she continues to be apart of FIRST FTC.
What do you like most about FIRST:
Megan loves that FIRST has so many aspects such as mechanical engineering, programming, business, etc. She also loves that the FIRST environment, from team meetings to competitions, feels like another family.
What are your other hobbies?
Most of Megan’s time is spent doing robotics and school activities but in her free time Megan enjoys to binge watching TV shows and playing  with her dog. 

 ANNIE TIGHE ~ Build Captain
Builder ⚘ 2nd year ⚘ Mayfield Senior School ⚘ 12th grade

Who are you (what do you want to be when you grow up): Annie has always been interested in math and science and loves applying her knowledge of engineering and design to solve problems in creative ways. While she wants become an engineer in the future, she is also very interested in Chinese and performing arts.
What are you on the team (builder, programmer, designer, etc.): Annie is the build captain on the team.
Why did you join the team: Annie joined the team because she wanted to have a taste of engineering and robotics. Science and math has always been her favorite subject in school, but this robotics team was a really creative way to apply her knowledge to solve problems. What do you like most about FIRST: FIRST is such an amazing program as it allows students to get to know engineering in a fun and competitive environment. Each game is a chance for teams to work together and see crazy ideas come to life. FIRST makes sure that this experience is fun for everyone and that gracious professionalism is emphasized so the game doesn’t become corrupt.
What are your other hobbies?: Annie loves tap dancing, singing, studying Chinese, and playing solitaire. She loves her family, her friends and her adorable dog Toby.

ALYSSA HO ~ Outreach Captain
Programmer ⚘ 3rd year ⚘ California School of the Arts High School ⚘ ​ 9th grade

Who are you (what do you want to be when you grow up)
Although Alyssa has been involved in FIRST since the fourth grade, she hasn’t gotten sick of it and probably never will for it has inspired her to achieve more. In the future, she hopes to combine both her creativity and technical ability in helping others. Alyssa is still exploring the various career options in robotics engineering from smart prosthetics to artificial intelligence.
What are you on the team (builder, programmer, designer, etc.):
Alyssa has dabbled in many areas under the robotics umbrella from designing through CAD, hardware building, workshop leading, programming, driving, and this year she is venturing into leading the team’s main outreach event, a FIRST Girl Scouts Robotics Expo, as Outreach Captain.
Why did you join the team:
Because Alyssa was excluded by the boys on her old FLL team, she wanted a fresh start and a more open environment where she would gain the confidence to show her true potential.  
What do you like most about FIRST:
To Alyssa, the best thing about FIRST are the opportunities and the many doors that had been opened to her through this program. Without it, she would never have been able to travel with friends, learn new things that qualified her for scholarships, and grow independently as a leader. In addition, FIRST made Alyssa realize how small of a world it is. She never knew that a girl from a different team would end up going to the same high school as her. She never knew that this boy from a competing team would be at her summer camp. It’s these types of connections and this sense of common ground between strangers that really makes FIRST special.
What are your other hobbies?
Besides robotics, Alyssa is also passionate about writing short stories, screenplays, and novels through her Creative Writing conservatory at school. In addition, she is a pianist and cellist, as well as a golfer. However, she associates herself mostly as a cat lover, movie watcher, foodie, and passionate reader.​

JACKIE BANH ~ Business Captain
Builder ⚘  3rd year ⚘ Gabrielino High School ⚘ 11th grade

Who are you (what do you want to be when you grow up)
As a young girl, Jackie was always interested in building. From building legos when she was 3 to building robots. Since, she started FLL, she knows that she wants to go into the mechanical engineering and robotics field when she grows up.
What are you on the team (builder, programmer, designer, etc.):
Jackie’s main focus on the team is more mechanical. She usually works build portion of the robot, but she also does the team’s electronics and dabbles in CAD. Currently, Jackie is the team’s Business Captain. This year, Jackie wants to learn new skills and improve on existing ones.
Why did you join the team:
After three years of FLL, Jackie moved on to FTC. FLL has shown Jackie that she wants to pursue a career in mechanical engineering. She wanted to challenge herself and learn as much as she can and FIRST offered it.
What do you like most about FIRST:
Jackie appreciates how FIRST offers a program that provides real experience and insight into the world of STEM. She enjoys the community that FIRST has provided that has allowed her to make lifelong friendships.
What are your other hobbies?
Her other hobbies include playing basketball, volunteering, skateboarding and sleeping. In her free time, Jackie enjoys to hang out and skateboarding with her friends. She also volunteers within her community by mentoring at local FLL teams.

GRACE VIPAPAN ~ Organization Lead
Builder ⚘ 2nd year ⚘  Mayfield Senior School ⚘ 10th grade

Who are you (what do you want to be when you grow up):
Grace joined the team in Grace hopes that robotics will hone problem-solving skills that will help her to become an engineer. After
What are you on the team (builder, programmer, designer, etc.):
Grace has been a builder on the team for one year. She wants to learn more about Solidworks in order to help the team and broaden her horizons by taking a programming class.
Why did you join the team:
Grace attended the team summer camp in her freshman year and decided to join the team afterward because she admired their skills.
What do you like most about FIRST:                                                                                              Grace likes the friendly competitive environment of FIRST, especially the idea of gracious professionalism. She enjoys learning from not only her own team, but others. 
What are your other hobbies?
​In her spare time, Grace likes reading, cooking boba, and playing strategy games. Grace also enjoys playing the flute.

ALEXANDRA MCGOWAN
Programmer ⚘ 4th year ⚘ Lycée International de Los Angeles ⚘ 11th grade

Who are you (what do you want to be when you grow up):
Alexandra is a high school student who knows three languages: English, French and Spanish. Her favorite subject in school is math. She is currently taking the French Baccalaureat (which focuses on maths, sciences and French). She would like to go to a college in France that concentrates on these subjects. Her future plan is to become a mechanical/electrical engineer or computer scientist
What are you on the team (builder, programmer, designer, etc.):
Alexandra is a programmer on the team currently.
Why did you join the team:
Alexandra joined this team in the summer of 2015 because she was interested in robotics. She was the only girl in her robotics club at school, where she built and programmed robots using Lego Mindstorms.
What do you like most about FIRST:
FTC stands for FIRST Tech Challenge. FTC is trying "to create a world where science and technology are celebrated... where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes." FIRST is not just building, programming, controlling neither competing a robot to Alexandra; it is more. You have to be organized, committed, hard-working and interested to be fully concerned with the robotics field.
What are your other hobbies?
Alexandra’s outside interests include learning French, playing the piano, tennis, traveling, trying new cuisines and if she has time, binge watch shows on Netflix.

AGNESE SANAVIO
Builder ⚘ 1st year ⚘ Mayfield Senior School ⚘ 11th grade

Who are you (what do you want to be when you grow up):
Agnese is interested in science and math, specifically spatial exploration. She is also interested in the science behind building rockets and airplanes. By joining a robotics team she can learn skills in mechanism and software to further her knowledge. Ultimately she hopes to pursue a career in aerospace engineering.
What are you on the team (builder, programmer, designer, etc.):
Even though she is new to the team, Agnese would like to be a programmer.
Why did you join the team:
Agnese joined this team because she wanted to learn more about robots, programming, and mechanics. She also joined this team because of the all-girls atmosphere that promotes the idea of girls in the stem field.
What do you like most about FIRST:
While she is new to FIRST, Agnese believes FIRST does a great job to promote engineering. She likes the supportive environment in FIRST and the enthusiasm she has seen at FIRST events.
What are your other hobbies?
Agnese’s other hobbies consist of running, reading, knitting, hiking, bullet journaling, and playing the violin.

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BELLA LEIFER
Builder ⚘ 1st year ⚘ Mayfield Senior School ⚘ 12th grade

Who are you (what do you want to be when you grow up):
Bella loves learning new things and like to apply her creativity to everything she does. She would love to become an architectural engineer and apply her creativity to building structures.
What are you on the team (builder, programmer, designer, etc.):
Bella is new to the team but she would like to be part of the hands on build team. Bella likes figuring out how things work and there are fabulous mentors and more experienced members of the team to help her out through the season.
Why did you join the team:
Bella joined the team to see if she found this field interesting and has definitely not been disappointed. She was interested in pursuing a career in Engineering and thought this would give her a sense of kind of problem solving she wouldn’t ld be doing (obviously on a larger scale however).
What do you like most about FIRST:
Bella likes the second family that this great organization offers. The people who are in the program are very welcoming and it is great to do something with people who share similar interests with Bella.  
What are your other hobbies?
Bella enjoys playing soccer and crocheting. Bella likes sharing her passions with others and likes team settings more than individual ones. Bella also occasionally plays badminton with her sister over the weekends and love the mixed martial arts and kickboxing class she takes with her family.

DOMINIQUE BHATTI
​Builder ⚘ 2nd year ⚘ Oak Ave. Intermediate School ⚘ 8th grade

Who are you (what do you want to be when you grow up) Dominique wants to be an electrical engineer when she grows up because  she loves to cable manage and would like to learn more about circuits.
What are you on the team (builder, programmer, designer, etc.):
Dominique usually works more on building the robot but she would also like to learn more about programming.
Why did you join the team: Dominique joined FTC after participating in 3 years of FLL. Joining an all-girls robotics team has been a great experience for her. 
What do you like most about FIRST: Dominique enjoys FIRST because it creates a great place to build robots and compete in a positive way.
What are your other hobbies? Dominique loves to knit, sew, and playing cards with friends.

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HOLLY CARTER
​Builder ⚘ 1st year ⚘ Westridge School ⚘ 8th grade

Who are you (what do you want to be when you grow up):
Holly does not know what she wants to do when she grows up, so she is exploring many new activities and hobbies.
What are you on the team (builder, programmer, designer, etc.):
Holly has just joined the team, so she does not have an official position yet.
Why did you join the team:  
Holly is stepping out of her comfort zone by trying something brand new and challenging, but she is excited to meet her new teammates and start learning!  Holly joined the team because she wanted to try something new, and because she thinks that having experience in engineering and working with computers will be very helpful in our modern world, where we use so much technology on a daily basis. Holly is not sure if she would like to pursue a career in technology yet, but she thinks that these skills are very useful.
What do you like most about FIRST:
Holly likes the idea of FIRST because it provides a creative and competitive space for kids to create and challenge themselves.
What are your other hobbies?
Holly occasionally enjoys drawing and ceramics, but her favorite activity is playing with her cats.

ELIZABETH TRINH
​Builder ⚘ 1st year ⚘ Huntington Middle School ⚘ 7th grade

Who are you (what do you want to be when you grow up):
Elizabeth enjoys learning about the brain and helping people. She would like to be a neurologist when she grows up.
What are you on the team (builder, programmer, designer, etc.):
Elizabeth is new to the team, but would like to be a builder.
Why did you join the team:
Elizabeth joined the team because she wanted to learn more about robots and how to program and build. She also joined because she thought this would be a fun after school activity.
What do you like most about FIRST:
What Elizabeth likes most about FIRST is getting to know different people and learning new things.
What are your other hobbies:
Elizabeth enjoys swimming and kayaking. She also enjoys traveling, snorkeling, and learning about marine animals. She would like to find a solution to non biodegradable plastic and helping get rid of plastic in the ocean. She would also like to find a new product to package our products.​

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Meet the Mentors

Julie Townsend
Robotics Engineer at JPL

"When I was 13, a summer camp inspired me to become an Aerospace Engineer, and mentoring this team lets me help today’s girls find that inspiration. I love seeing the girls’ leadership skills and confidence in technical abilities grow through each season."

Craig MacFarlane
Software Engineer at Cisco

"I am at a point in my career in which I feel the need to give back, so I went searching for STEM and volunteer opportunities. I found Girl Scouts and FTC seemed like a great fit. After joining this team, I realized that teenage girls are nothing like their representation on the Disney Channel."

Taylor Halsey
Biology Teaching Associate at Cal Poly Pomona

"I became involved in FTC through my own participation on the team when I was in high school. My participation has sparked a lifelong love for FIRST and I continue to get back on volunteering in any way possible. As a mentor, I love helping girls go through similar journeys as they discover their love of STEM."

Phoebe Rhodes-Wickett
Mechanical Engineer at JPL

"‘Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity’, and my goal is to help this team of young engineers prepare for these opportunities. FIRST is an amazing program that truly prepares its students for their futures, and I am thankful to be a small part of that."

Dale Gallego
X-Ray Field Service Manager at Western Diagnostic Imaging Systems

"I’m volunteering my electrical, mechanical, and electronic skills & experience to aid the learning process of problem-solving."

Ben Rhodes-Wickett
​Mechanical Engineer at JPL