Page 38 - 2017 Yearbook

This year has been a time of change for the Priory robotics team. With a huge surge in the number of team members and the departure of the two captains as they graduated and headed off to college, there was a position to be filled. The team needed a leader that could be fair, dedicated, and thorough without micro-managing. Luckily, Lauren Kastanis (11) saw herself as the perfect fit for the position and stepped up to the plate.
“The leadership has really improved this year,” says the Robotics team mentor Mr. Paige. “Lauren is more concerned about getting people to do their job and managing it rather than controlling the design of the robot.” With less focus on monitoring the robot itself and rather monitoring the performance of the team, all of the robotics participants are able to learn to work independently and effectively.
“In years before, it’s really been a stuggle to train people and teach them how to use the machines” says Lauren Kastanis (11), team captain. However, with her new leadership strategies, new and returning members are really learning and
understanding everything about the Robotics program, and as a result have become much more self-reliant.
Team members are also thrilled about the new leadership strategies. “I think that because of the leadership this year, robotics has improved in general,” said Jasmine Tang (11). “The space is a lot cleaner, you know exactly where to go when it comes to using machines, and the chain of command of who can give you help is clear.”
Evidence that the new leadership is paying off is already apparent. In the fall, the Priory team attended a conference in which they placed 8th out of the countless other teams, which was one of the their best rankings to date. With the excellent leadership propelling Priory robotics up the rankings, there’s no doubt that this will be an upward trend and that the robotics team will only have success in the future.
Favorite Part of
Robotics?
Liam Bannon (12) - “I love all the fun inside jokes.”
Viansa Schmulbach (9) - “All the people there are very cool.”
Dimitri Saliba (9) - “The food, specifically Chicken in a Biscuit.”
Lauren Kastanis (11) - “I like being able to express my love for engineering.”
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