THE OFFICIAL HOME OF
ABSOLUTE VALUE 867
MEET THE TEAM
2021-2022
LEADERS
Captain
Structural Design Lead
Control Systems Lead
Outreach Lead
Historian Lead
MEMBERS
Kurt Qin
Ethan Wong
MENTORS
TEAM MEMBERS
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Aleqxus Aguba
Historian | Control Systems
2nd Year
Aleqxus joined the team to explore the different facets of engineering and work alongside people with varying skillsets. To her, engineering creates new opportunities to see the world in different ways and make life better and more interesting. With FRC, engineering lets her meet and work with others towards a common goal, making memories along the way. In her free time, she enjoys doing her own mini build projects and plays the ukulele.
Ruth Berkun
Control Systems
1st Year
Ruth is a senior who joined EDD to learn more about engineering and workshop skills. She is interested in programming and electrical engineering, and her goal for this season is to pick up as much knowledge as she can before college. In her free time, she can be found playing piano, practicing competition math and coding, or swimming.
Brian Cheng
Control Systems
1st Year
As someone who has always been interested in software, Brian wanted to experience first hand what the structural design aspect was all about. Joining the FRC team not only allowed him to accomplish that, but he was also able to build even more relationships with people that had similar interests as him. In his free time, he loves to watch and play basketball and hopes to have a job that incorporates sports and CS together.
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Joshua Calero
Control Systems Lead
2nd Year
Joshua is someone who has dedicated a plethora of time to this kind of work. They've been doing robotic competitions for 5 years, and engineering for even longer. The idea of creation fuels their endeavors in all fields, to bring life with time, dedication, and a sprinkle of skill. The goal this year is to bring new ideas from a different competition background to a new team and provide a more unique perspective and approach.
Kevin Chang
Team Captain
2nd Year
Kevin has been fascinated with moving machines and mechanisms ever since he was little. From his first Lego Mindstorms kit, to FLL, to FTC, to now FRC, he has gained his fair share of experience over the years. Kevin loves to problem solve, design, and build things with his own hands. This year, he hopes to lead his team to success with gratifying results. In his free time, he enjoys listening to IU and watching anime. He believes the secret to winning the competition is to add Ukrainian flags and anime stickers onto the robot.
Kyle Duong
Structural Design | Shooter
1st Year
Kyle joined the team because he had an interest in engineering. He was inspired to pursue STEM because he is interested in building and loves tinkering with tools. His goal for this FRC season is to learn more about all the different tools used in engineering. A fun fact about him is that he can eat a whole large pizza in one sitting.
Morgan Fung
Control Systems
1st Year
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Morgan joined the class to learn more about the engineering process and work on a larger project with like-minded classmates. So far, he has enjoyed how collaborative the class is and the freedom there is to the projects. A fun fact about him is that he has a twin brother.
Beatrice Ge
Historian | Index
1st Year
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Beatrice was inspired to pursue engineering/STEM by her older brother who was previously on the team. Her goal for the FRC season is mostly to help wherever it’s needed and not cause problems for anyone. During the COVID-19 lockdown, she took AP Computer Science Principles and became interested in real life applications of coding. She is interested in pursuing a STEM track in biology or statistics.
Marilyn Gan
Outreach | Climber
1st Year
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Ever since middle school, Marilyn has had an interest in engineering. After learning about the class during the Beyond U night, she decided to take Principles of Engineering so she could join the team. Other than the hands-on experience, Marilyn enjoys getting to know the people in her class. Her goal for this FRC season is to have a fully functional robot that can do it's planned job by the time the competition starts.
Sean Gao
Control Systems | Intake
1st Year
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Sean is a senior who is looking to pursue a double major in Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science. He is an extreme night owl and enjoys sports, music, and science. His two favorite hobbies are surfing and free diving. Being an enthusiast for all science-related topics, particularly biology and computer science, Sean thought it would be an enlightening opportunity to experience the robotic side of this field and thus joined EDD.
Oscar Huang
Structural Design | Intake
1st Year
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Oscar joined the team because he wished to gain some experience with designing and building things. Oscar likes the building aspect of engineering, and likes to get hands-on with creating structures and robots. Oscar's final goal for this FRC season is to qualify for the competition at the very least.
Devin Khun
Control Systems | Intake
1st Year
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Throughout Devin’s entire life, he had an interest in STEM. His first encounter with the engineering world was exploring CAD software and robots. He joined the engineering team in hopes of getting a feel for what it is like to problem solve with other engineers. His goals for the FRC season are to build a functioning robot and work through engineering methods. In his free time, Devin enjoys hanging out with his friends and watching movies.
Tyler Ng
Structural Design | Intake
2nd Year
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Tyler has had an interest in engineering since an early age. His first step into the field was signing up for an Intro to Engineering Design course. From there, he has participated in every engineering course offered at his school, gradually increasing his experience so that one day he can achieve his goal of becoming a mechanical engineer.
Jolene Pang
Outreach | Index
1st Year
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Jolene joined the Engineering Team in order to expand her knowledge in different STEM fields. The team has allowed her to broaden her perspective and collaborate in a new setting where she is able to contribute to the team spirit. EDD is only one step on her path to pursue a future career in STEM.
Rachel Quach
Outreach Lead | Control Systems
2nd Year
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While on the team, Rachel was encouraged to join a women-led tech startup and has designed AR wearable devices, effectively merging her interests in tech & business to develop real-world, innovative solutions. She looks forward to applying learned skills from this FRC season towards her future career, hoping to one day start her own company that prioritizes uplifting women of color in tech. On her free time, Rachel likes to go on late-night boba runs and chill with her dog.
Kurt Qin
Historian Lead
3rd Year
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Kurt joined the team so that he could experience the field of engineering and to explore his engineering career path. In his free time, Kurt likes to make wood crafts and read about history. His goals for the season are to build upon the accomplishments of his peers from the last two years and to preserve their experiences for new generations of students in the team.
Andrew Seymour
Outreach | Shooter
2nd Year
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In as early as 4th grade, Andrew expressed an interest in mechanical engineering and its application in robotics, but found few outlets for it. He took up programming as a result of an abundance of resources, but did not betray his prior passions. With his generalist skill set, he joins the team hoping to contribute wherever it is needed, and gain access to a greater degree of engineering experience. Ultimately, he aspires to practice patent law; the legal arm of STEM.
Jason Sioeng
Outreach | Structural Design | Climber
1st Year
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Developing an interest in engineering during quarantine, as a sophomore, Jason decided to take the Introduction to Engineering and Design course and found he enjoyed the processes of research and design. Becoming a part of Team Absolute Value, he has been able to bridge the worlds of creativity and competition, and expose himself to new perspectives. He looks forward to the "positive" experiences that lie ahead of him and the team.
Christopher Shahlapour
Structural Design | Intake
2nd Year
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Christopher is a person who tries to be nice, he works as hard as he can and tries his best constantly and works wherever he can. He joined the team to gain knowledge about robots and engineering. He enjoys building and helping people in class. In his free time, Chris plays video games on his computer. A fun fact about him is: he took culinary classes for a semester and 2 during the summer of middle school.
Don Shin
Structural Design | Climber
1st Year
Historian | Index
2nd Year
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Aaron joined EDD in his Junior year during the COVID quarantine. He felt that he didn't get to actually experience working hands-on with the machinery, and what it's like to work with other team members from creating a blueprint to building actual machinery. So, he joined EDD during his Senior year to actually get this experience, and see what engineering will really be like when he pursues it in the future.
Aaron Ung
Shin Umeda
Control Systems
1st Year
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Shin Umeda originally got into STEM via a programming project in Java. They tried to program a chess game but found Java to be too limiting and began learning C++. After that, they began to learn Python and wanted to get into embedded programming. That interest in embedded programming, as well as the desire to see their projects materialize, led them into joining EDD. They now primarily build stuff and program in the FRC team.
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Ethan Wong
Structural Design Lead | Climber
3rd Year
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Ethan Wong is the structural design lead for the team. He decided to pursue engineering after becoming addicted to RC airplanes and joined the team to learn as much as possible about various aspects of engineering. In his free time he enjoys building and researching model airplanes and playing Fallout.
Smriti Wadhwa
Outreach | Shooter
1st Year
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Smriti, having created an ed-tech company and interning at USC for robotics, joined EDD to learn to combine the software and hardware sides of engineering while being on an engaging team. She was inspired to pursue STEM as an outlet to combine both her logical and creative skills in unique ways, and EDD allows her to do that. Smriti, in her free time, enjoys skiing and snowboarding, going to the beach, and cooking/baking.
MENTORS
Mr. William "Bill" Chapman
CTE Teacher at Arcadia High School
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Mr. Chapman is the lead teacher and mentor for Team 867. He teaches all of Arcadia High School’s PLTW Pathway classes including the Engineering Design & Development class from which the team fosters. Dedicating his last 20 years towards teaching, Mr. Chapman inspires the team as the next generation of engineers, encouraging students to inquire through well-formulated questions, be self-motivated, take initiative as leaders, and work collaboratively towards a shared goal.
Dr. Adrian Stoica
JPL Engineer
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Dr. Adrian Stoica is a Senior Research Scientist at JPL with over 30 years of R&D experience, leading a variety of research projects for NASA, DARPA, USAF, DTAO, BMDO, and more. During this season, Dr. Adrian Stoica attended the Design Review Board, assisting the team by providing a multitude of feedback and critiques to further the progression in building the robot. With his knowledge, the team was able to construct the robot more flawlessly and efficiently.
Ms. Breanne Genite
CTE Coordinator at Arcadia High School
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Ms. Genite provides opportunities for the team in regards to outreach and sponsorship- overseeing the flow of grant money, running programs that allow students to expand and explore their interests, ensuring that the program has the necessary funds and equipment. She attended the Design Review Board and is working continuously to coordinate the team.
CTE Coordinator at Arcadia High School
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Ms. Genite provides opportunities for the team in regards to outreach and sponsorship- overseeing the flow of grant money, running programs that allow students to expand and explore their interests, ensuring that the program has the necessary funds and equipment. She attended the Design Review Board and is working continuously to coordinate the team.
Mr. John Finn
Assistant Principal at Arcadia High School
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Mr. Finn is currently an Assistant Principal for Arcadia High School. He is in charge of the Instructional Leadership and Student Services and Assessment. Some of his responsibilities include Careers and Technology, Social Science, Discipline, Senior Awards, School Safety, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
STUDENT MENTORS
EDD to Michael truly was an unforgettable experience. Being on the team taught him many invaluable skills including leadership and teamwork, which have everlasting utility. It really gave Michael a sense of community with talented, hardworking individuals who pushed him to become a better person and hone his talents. He appreciated the very hands-on, interactive structure of the class which allowed him to gain a first-hand perspective of the engineering progress. Michael is working on expanding his knowledge of technology and engineering design, applying the skills he learned in EDD, all to bring about a positive change in the world.
Being on the team, Justin learned all about the engineering design process, and how the programs written were able to interact with the mechanisms that were built. In his senior year as Team Captain, he helped facilitate a complete overhaul of the team’s organization, as to prevent the gap the team experienced each year a majority of the seasoned members would graduate. As an alumni, he now uses his team working skills and applies the engineering perspective to his software development projects and hackathons he participates in.
​Ethan’s deep fascination with electronic and mechanical devices spurred him to join 867. The immense variety of engineering challenges EDD provides necessitated that Ethan get involved. He has a special affinity for the hardware aspect of electronics, and consolidated his efforts into helping the team on that front. In this role, or whichever task he was required, Ethan plays his vital part in team 867.