Kavya Bansal
12th Grade
Hi, I’m Kavya! I’m 16 and a senior at Renaissance High School. I’m the team captain, and though I focus on mechanical and media, I also work on programming. I love math and science, so robotics is the best parts of both of those. I play the trumpet and piano, and I love listening to music too! I also like creative writing. I want to go to college for mechanical engineering.
Chinmay Tiwari
12th Grade
I’m Chinmay, I go to Timberline High School, and I’m the lead programmer for the team. I enjoy robotics because it allows us to put forth practical applications for math and engineering, while providing a good challenge. I’d like to be a computer programmer or filmmaker when I grow up, preferably both.
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Megan Baird
12th Grade
I’m Megan Baird, 17 years old, and a junior at Eagle High. I’m the head mechanical engineer on the team, but I know some coding as well. Robotics is a way to express creativity while getting the satisfaction from problem solving for me. I also love the team aspect and I’m excited for all the new rookies this year. I’m hoping to go into a field in STEM, specifically an engineer or research in the medical field. In addition to doing robotics, I’m part of the Boise Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, play for my schools tennis team and am on the varsity speech and debate team there too. I’m excited to learn more and have a fun year with the Bananas.
Kashvi Bansal
9th Grade
Hi! My name is Kashvi Bansal. I am 14 years old and I am in ninth grade at Rocky Mountain High School. I enjoy robotics as well as playing sports like volleyball. This is my third year on the team as a member of the mechanical team. I like robotics because it teaches me to think outside of the box and learn beyond what I can just learn at school. Robotics not only plays a role in my present life but what I want to do in the future. Although I don’t know exactly what I want to be when I grow up I know I want to pursue something surrounding biology, and robotics prepares me for whatever path I choose to take, teaching me leadership, working as a team, and thinking outside of the box.
Sarah Baird
10th Grade
Hi! My name is Sarah Baird. I’m 16 years old, and I am a sophomore at Eagle High School. This is my third year on the team. I love doing robotics because of the friendships I make and the things I get to learn. It is satisfying knowing that I helped accomplish building our robot. Doing outreach for the team is also one of my favorite parts of robotics because of the connection it builds between me and the community. In my free time I read books, play for the Eagle Varsity tennis team, play piano, participate in speech and debate, and hang out with my friends. When I grow up I want to be a environmental engineer or a software developer
Sloan Goss
9th Grade
My name is Sloan and I am 14 years old. I live on a farm with chickens, a cat, longhorn cows, dogs, horses and my parents. I love photography, especially of horses. I am on the mechanical side of the robot. The reason I like robotics is because it’s a world of endless possibilities and if you can dream it, you can build it. When I grow up I think I want to be a robotic engineer, heavy machinery operator, or a photographer, but I don’t know which one yet.
Sam Satterfield
9th Grade
Hey! My name’s Sam Satterfield! I’m a freshman at Renaissance High School and this is my second year on the team. I mostly help out on the programing side of our robot and I love the feeling when your code finally stops giving your error messages. I think I love robotics because it gives me a way to be creative and there is something so cool about using your nerd skills to solve problems. I’m not sure what I’ll do when I grow up but I bet it will be in an engineering field.
Jaxon Ward
8th Grade
Hi, my name is Jaxon. I’m 13 years old and I go to North Star Charter. I’m a veteran on the High Voltage Couch Bananas FTC team, and my role is on the mechanical side. I really enjoy robotics because I like building things, working with my hands, and seeing how all the different parts come together to make something that actually works. It’s exciting to be part of a team where I can learn new skills and help solve problems. I’m not sure exactly what I want to do when I grow up yet, but I know I want it to involve creating and building things.
Paul Baird
8th Grade
This is my first year of robotics and I am 13 and working on mechanical this year but would like to move up to programming. I like being on robotics because of the fun of working together and the chances I have to contribute to the team. I want to be a software developer when I grow up. Something cool about me is that I do tennis, cross country, and have played soccer.Â
Elvin Song
8th Grade
Elvin Song is an 8th grader at East Junior High School and TVMSC, and is currently exploring options in his first year in the High Voltage Couch Bananas. He is a nerd of great proportions, and has chosen to join this team among others for its great community, after graduating from FLL. He enjoys making things, and has gotten into robotics as a result. He works towards running a large business when he gets older, and he enjoys 3D printing. 3D printers are life and love.
Richa Bansal
Programming & Engineering Teacher
I’m a Sun-certified Java programmer with a master’s in computer science and economics. But none of that is as fun as nurturing the curiosity of young kids. Who thought robots would be more fun than writing apps in Java? I have two beautiful daughters who share and support my passion and vision of having fun while learning. My motto in life is that if I can positively influence any kid’s life, I have done my part.
Raj Bansal
Engineering Teacher
Hi there, I am Raj and at 45, I am the oldest kid on the team!! Material Science engineer by training and semiconductor engineer by experience, I love learning new things, especially tech. Eternal optimist and first principle thinker. I love crazy ideas and especially making them a reality. I love robotics as it’s a great way to express oneself, be serious and silly at the same time and also change the world in a small way.
Chris Honcik
Teacher
I’m older than the Unix operating system (look it up, kids!). I’m older than the Basic programming language. I have a BS in Chemistry and a MA in Physics. I love to understand how things work – everything from biological organisms and systems to mechanical systems to software and AI. This is my 2nd year mentoring Bananas FTC, and I was a coach for FLL one year before that. I have been taking my kids to FRC Competitions since they were toddlers and am thrilled to be involved with the Bananas!
Sam Baird
Teacher
This is my 3rd year as coding mentor for the Bananas team. My interest in robotics started 15 years ago when I got a Lego NXT robotics kit. Ever since, I’ve loved tinkering on arduinos. raspberry pis, and 3d prints. My license plate even shows the level of commitment I have to robotics: ARDUIN0. Professionally, I am a software developer at Clearwater Analytics, and have been coding for 30 years. When I grow up, I want my own Crunch Lab where I can design fun robots like Mark Rober.
