2021-2022
We were so excited to return to League V to compete in person this season.
"To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders." -Dean Kamen
Robert B.
My name is Robert and I am 17 years old. I am a senior at Simi Valley High School. This is my third year competing in FIRST Robotics and I am loving it. I am a mechanical engineer and CAD designer. I am the drive coach for my team and I enjoy making plans with other teams in competitions before matches. When I am not in robotics, I enjoy playing basketball and going camping with my boy scout troop.
Vickie B.
My name is Vickie and I’m 17 years old. I am a senior at Simi Valley High School and a second year member on Team 6282. I am part of the operations division of the team and I have helped build different parts on the robot. I really enjoy working with the rest of the team to construct the robot. When I am not in robotics, I am playing tennis on the courts of Simi High, camping, hiking, or playing video games with my friends.
Josh C.
My name is Josh, and I’m 17 years old and a senior at Simi Valley High School. This is my first year on Team 6282 and as a software engineer on the team, I’m responsible for coding the robot’s movements (in TeleOp and Autonomous), accessory features, and sensors. This will be my second year coding, and so far it’s been great. When I’m not in robotics, I enjoy hanging out with friends and playing video games.
Ananya P.
I am 17 years old and this is my third year on the robotics team. As a mechanical engineer, I aid in designing and building the robot. Being a part of robotics has helped me deepen my interest in engineering, while also learning the importance of teamwork. Robotics has allowed me to make new friends, and interact with different people. When I’m not in robotics, you might find me practicing my violin or piano, or hanging out with my twin sister.
Ankita P.
Hello! My name is Ankita and I’m 17 years old. I’m a senior and a third year member on Team 6282. I learned about this club through outreach events, and so glad that I did! I currently help with scouting and other outreach events for the team. This team has helped me open my mind to new ideas and learning new things. When I’m not in Robotics, you can usually find me hanging out with my friends or watching a movie.
Eric T.
Hi, my name is Eric and I am a 17 year old senior at Simi Valley High School. This is my first year on the robotics team, and though it will also be my last, I am excited for the fun that awaits. I am a part of the programming subteam, developing code for our robot’s autonomous mode and driver-controlled mode. When I’m not in robotics, you will often find me hanging out with my friends, playing video games, or watching a movie.
Upaush S.
I’m a 16-year-old junior at Simi Valley High. This is my second year competing in FTC. I have taken 2 robotics classes prior so I have some experience with building and programming robots. I also have experience with coding in languages such as python and javascript. As a member of the engineering subteam, I work on creating parts using 3D printing and have modeled parts in CAD for our competitive robot. I enjoy gaming and traveling with family.
Christopher N.
I'm 15 years old and a sophomore. This is my second year on FTC Team 6282. I've helped build a few different parts on our robots and I really enjoy working with the others as a team. This year will be my first in-person competition and it is really fun for me. I can't wait to compete with other schools. In my free time I like to camp and travel with my family, skateboard at the park, play soccer, build legos, and play video games.
Noah S.
I am a 15-year-old sophomore at Simi Valley High School. This is my first year officially on the team, although I did attend a few Zoom sessions during last year's remote season. As a member of the mechanical engineering subteam, I have been learning how to CAD using Fusion 360, how to solder, and how to use power tools to fabricate parts. I like to go on hikes and I enjoy spending time with my family.
Our Mentors
Mrs. Giacalone
I teach computer science and ROP Robotics at Simi Valley High. This is my sixth year volunteering as a mentor for Team 6282. Everything I know about FIRST, I've learned from my son and daughter, who have competed for years with FIRST Robotics Competition. Our team has benefited greatly from their after-school visits and from dinner conversations about drive trains, intake systems, sensors and programming. I particularly enjoy grant writing, as it brings attention to all the great work that our talented young students are doing. I love to see their faces light up when they realize how much they have accomplished.
Jessica Bussjaeger
I’m Jessica, a Mechanical Coach for the FTC Team 6282, Simi Valley Robotics. Although my mechanical skills are on point, I made my talented and loving husband Blue write my bio for me. I’m a Design Engineer at Aerojet Rocketdyne working in propulsion systems, such as the AR1 and RS-25 rocket engines. This is my sixth season working with a robotics team. I love the opportunity FIRST provides for me to teach other motivated students tangible engineering career skills such as CAD, professional design processes, manufacturing, project management, presentation skills, and communication.
Brandon "Blue" Bussjaeger
I'm Blue, a coach for the Simi Valley Robotics team. This is my sixth year heavily involved in mentoring and coaching an FTC team, and my thirteenth year volunteering for FIRST. I work as a Software Engineer for inVia Robotics in Westlake Village, which focuses on mobile robotics solutions for warehouse automation. You can find me at most FIRST events volunteering as the emcee, cheering on teams as they demonstrate their robots on the competition field. I'm extremely grateful to be working with such a dedicated group of students this year who are quick to learn and eager to improve their skills.