Alumni

Below is a list of many of our alumni and the colleges they went on to attend.

Class of 2012

Ryan Cesiel (University of Michigan)
Kieran Cooper (Oakland Community College)
Becky Everson (University of Rochester, New York)
Matt Juriga (Ferris State University)
Ryan Rosenau (Kettering University)
Chris Santella (Marquette University)
Danielle Twarozynski (Oakland Community College)

Class of 2011

Emily Bolewitz (Penn State University)
Matt Brisson (University of Windsor)
Edna Chiang (University of Michigan)
Ian Cosgrove (Michigan Tech University)
Yutaka Iwasaki (Michigan State University)
Dean Keithly (Michigan Tech University)
Jerry Lin (University of Michigan)
Drew Markel (Michigan Tech University)
Sidd Menon (Oakland University)
Duy Mo (University of Michigan)
Alex Shultz (Oakland Community College)
Garret Sochanski (Oakland University)

Class of 2010

Eduardo Cerame (University of Michigan)
Mark Derry (Oakland Community College)
Chris Greene (Kettering University)
Lucas Mitchell (University of Michigan)   
John Watkins (Oakland University)
Jack Wink (University of Michigan)

Class of 2009

David Cesiel (University of Michigan)
James Lindsay (Arizona State)
Quentin Sheets (Purdue – North Central)
Brett Garstick (Michigan State)
Matt Li (Michigan State)
Sean Losinski

Class of 2008

Anthony Curley (Michigan State)
Bhajanpreet Kohli (University of Michigan)
Danielle Smith (Grand Valley)
Jonathan Immers (Kettering)

Class of 2007

Patrick Pannuto (University of Michigan)
Braden Leinbach (Michigan State)
Caitlyn Bolewitz (Grand Vally State)
Kevin Kozlowski (University of Michigan)
Kevin Tom
Nolan Wyatt (Eastern Michigan)
Patricia Schuster (University of Michigan /USC Berkeley)
Tanya Das (University of Michigan)
Kevin Schalte (University of Michigan)
Kevin Huang (University of Michigan)
Emily Thomas (University of Michigan)
Scott Theuerkauf (US Air Force Academy)
Scott Walls (University of Michigan)
Chris Park (University of Chicago)

Class of 2006

John Dong (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Alexander Piazza (University of Michigan/Michigan State )
Bhajneet Kohli (University of Michigan)
Grace Gahman (Oakland University)
Jeremy Clemens
Katie Pendock (Oakland University)
Stephanie Roth (University of Michigan/Oakland Univeristy)
Ye He (University of Michigan/Harvard University)
Fiona Turett (Washington University St. Louis)
Chris Lee

Class of 2005

Richard Schuster (University of Michigan/Oakland University)
Katrin Augustyniak (Oakland University)
Matt Benoit (Oakland University)
Jenny Stein (Oakland University)
Hayley Lawson (Oakland University)
Stephen Krause (University of Michigan)

Class of 2004

Riva Das (Duke/Penn State)
Danny Demp (University of Michigan)
Carrie Hauser (Eastern Michigan/Indiana State)
Jason Lewer (Michigan State)
Jim Liu (University of Michigan)
Katie Olson (University of Michigan/University of Virginia)
David Pirozzo (Oakland University)
Eric Plagens (Wayne State/Oakland University/Kettering University)
Jeff Rogers (University of Michigan)
Bill Stoffel (University of Michigan)

Class of 2003

Adnan Asif (Michigan State University)
Christian Catalan (University of Michigan)
Alex Drummer (Northen Michigan/Wayne State University)
Carl Fristad (Minneapolis College of Art and Design)
Edward Hong (Oakland University)
Dan Krause (University of Michigan)
Bin-Bin Mao (University of Michigan)
John Morgan (University of Michigan)
Steve Moy (Michigan State)
Hunter Nie (University of Michigan)
Lauren Olson (Michigan State)
Kevin Smith (Michigan State)
Kaylyn Soller (Michigan Tech)
Jason Yee

Class of 2002

Amanda Armstrong
Andrea Brown
Joe Gothomy (University of Michigan)
Brian Hamburg (Michigan State)
Nathaniel Johnson (Oakland University)
Kevin McCulum
Max Peters
Mou Sangupta (University of Michigan)

Class of 2001

Mike Albertus (University of Michigan/Stanford University)
Kirsten Fristad (Macalester College/University of Oslo)
Nicholas Goodard
Jeremy Gouldy
Vicky Wilson (Albion College/Purdue)

Class of 2000

Karen Ault
Lauren Davenport
Cindy Drebus
Andrew Drummer (Carleton College/Oakland University/Wayne State )
David Hockey (University of Michigan)
Dan Hulme (University of Michigan)
Niko Kanagawa (Albion College)
Nicole Nelson
Ben Palmer (Case Western)
Bryan Wilson (Western Michigan)

Class of 1999

Paul Albertus (University of Michigan/USC Berkeley)
Philip Smith (Rose-Hulman Institute of Tech/University of Michigan)
Edward Vollenweider (Central Michigan)
Robert Gable (Central Michigan)
Nicholas Czechowski
Derek Herbert (University of Michigan)
Ken-Pei Leung (Michigan Tech)
Nicholas Reeck (University of Michigan)
Joseph Pirozzo (Oakland University)
Sean Halliday

Alumni Spotlight

Paul Albertus

What years were you on the team and what did you do?
I graduated from Adams in 1999 and only did FIRST one year, so that must have been in 1999. I was involved in the design of the robot, and in particular on a ladder mechanism that we used in the robot for elevating objects in the game.

Where did you go to school and what were your majors?
I did my undergrad at the University of Michigan in Chemical Engineering, and then went on for a PhD at UC Berkeley, also in Chemical Engineering.

How did your experience on the AdamBots affect your choice of profession?
I had a great time on the FIRST team, and I think it did reinforce my interest in science and technology. I don’t think it specifically influenced me towards electrical or mechanical engineering (two of the areas where robotics is focused on most directly), but it did have some influence on me pursuing engineering.

Why did you join the robotics team?
Before high school I had done a lot of Odyssey of the Mind, and I think that there are some similarities between that and FIRST. In any case, I knew that I enjoyed being part of a team working on technical problems, and FIRST certainly fit that bill.

What was your best memory of the AdamBots?
I have a number of good memories. There was a really fun mentor that we worked with — Paul Slaby — who made the experience very enjoyable and interesting. Working on the robot design was also a good memory, as were other members of the team.

Do you have any words of wisdom for the current members of the AdamBots?
A lot of what you learn in the FIRST competition is very relevant in later stages of life!
A few examples of what I learned in FIRST that has applied to my later stages of life:
– Teamwork is very important. Although it takes a lot of effort to make a team function well, ten people working well together can achieve far more than just one.
– It’s important that a project is exciting and has compelling emotional aspects in order for team members to become engaged and work together well. The excitement that FIRST generates helped teach me this lesson.
– The best projects happen when there are a variety of types of people involved. In other words, there are a lot of benefits that come from having people of different backgrounds involved in a FIRST team.

Patricia Schuster

What years were you on the team and what did you do?
2005-2007, unofficially since 7th grade in 2002.  I helped recruit for the team, organize a lot of the social side and helped on most of the building aspects. I think I made a lot of the more practical decisions when the rest of the team were overwhelmed and helped to keep the building on task.

Where did you go to school? Majors?
University of Michigan – Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences and the International Minor in Engineering

What are you doing today?
Senior in college, waiting to hear back from graduate schools.  I’m pursuing a PhD in radiation detection and nonproliferation.

Did being on the robotics team have an impact on you? How?
Yes, it helped me learn a lot of skills necessary to working in a team and managing social dynamics.  It set me up to make a lot of friends at U of M who were on other robotics teams that I recognized.  Robotics is one of the best experiences a high school student can have in terms of personal growth.  It will set you up professionally, socially, and eventually financially.

Carrie Hauser

What years were you on the team and what did you do?
2003-2004. Helping out in the machine shop and helping to build the body of the robot.

Where did you go to school? Majors?
Eastern Michigan University – BS Children’s Literature with a minor in Mathematics
Indiana State University – MS in Student Affairs and Higher Education

What are you doing today?
Today I am living in China teaching English to high school students.

Did being on the robotics team have an impact on you? How?
Being in robotics had a large impact on me.  Before robotics, I had not been very involved at Adams High School.  When I signed up for the club everyone welcomed me in with open arms.  I didn’t know much about building robots but everyone was very friendly and willing to help me learn.  Robotics showed me that there were a lot of fun applications with my math and science skills and that even after high school I could get involved with programs similar to this club.

Fiona Turett

What years were you on the team and what did you do?
2002 – 2005 OCCRA seasons. I mostly did mechanical design and building work, as well as electrical wiring.  I really enjoyed the hands-on aspects of the robotics program.  I was the captain and driver for the girls competition team.

Where did you go to school? Majors?
Washington University in St. Louis – graduated in 2009 with a degree in mechanical engineering.  I also completed a minor in aerospace engineering.

What are you doing today?
I currently work at NASA’s Johnson Space Center as a System Safety Engineer.  I work on the space shuttle energy systems, which includes all engines, thrusters, and hydraulic power.  My job is to assess and document risks associated with my subsystems, as well as to provide operations support during shuttle flights.

Did being on the robotics team have an impact on you? How?
Yes, being on the team definitely impacted the path I chose to pursue in college and beyond.  Robotics was the first activity which made me realize I was interested in engineering.  I had never really had an opportunity to design and build much before then, but once I got involved I realized how much I enjoyed it.  My experience with robotics also helped me secure a NASA internship between high school and college, and allowed me to get involved with a student-run nanosatellite project as a college freshman.  The opportunities which my robotics experience opened up for me have been amazing and have ultimately led me to where I am today.

Emily Thomas

What years were you on the team and what did you do?
2005-2007. Build Co-captain in 2007 for the arm

Where did you go to school? Majors?
University of Michigan - Civil and Environmental Engineering

What are you doing today?
Senior in college, applying to Grad School for Environmental Engineering/Hydrology

Did being on the robotics team have an impact on you? How?
Yes, it influenced my decision to major in engineering.  Also, I met some of my close friends through robotics.