We are a 4-H club of middle- and high-school aged kids building really cool robots for the FIRST Tech Challenge.
Isaac – President
What I Do: Control Systems Lead
Season: 2019-2022
Isaac is currently enrolled in Burr & Burton Academy (BBA). He is currently in 9th grade, and he lives in rural Sunderland, Vermont. He is the president of the team. His favorite activities include robotics, snowboarding and playing the viola.
Charlotte – Vice President
What I Do: Outreach Team Lead, Hardware Build Team
Season: 2019-2022
Charlotte is a current senior (12th grader) at Burr and Burton Academy. She enjoys physics, snowboarding, and reading. She was part of the very first team for the Manchester Machine Makers, and 2021-2022 will be her third season.
Aleks – Treasurer
What I Do: Software Lead
Season: 2020-2022
Aleks is our treasurer, lead programmer and proponent of open source software. He is paranoid about putting his information on the Internet. He is more comfortable with the Java than with the robot code, but generally gets along.
Piper
What I Do: Outreach, Software, Hardware Build Team
Season: 2021-2022
Piper currently attends Arlington Memorial Middle and High School and is in 8th grade. She doesn’t know a lot about robotics yet but is excited to learn and join the team. She enjoys writing, drawing, reading, and outdoor activities such as biking, snowboarding, and walking her dog Cricket in the woods behind her house.
David
What I Do: Outreach, Software, Hardware Build Team
Season: 2021-2022
David is in 8th grade at VTVLC online learning. He likes to read, draw, and write. His hobbies are making pixel art, making music, swimming, playing video games, and playing D&D.
Jacob
What I Do:
Season: 2021-2022
Jacob Mills is currently attending Burr & Burton Academy (BBA) as a senior. He lives in mountainous Dorset, Vermont. He is one of the new members of the team as a hardware engineer. He likes subjects like Calculus and Physics. His favorite activities include robotics and soccer.
Amos
What I Do: Hardware
Season: 2021-2022
Amos Smithwick is a senior at BBA. He lives in Bondville Vermont and enjoys playing guitar and running. He likes math and science and is looking forward to learning more about engineering on the robotics team!
Takoda
What I Do: Hardware
Season: 2021-2022
Takoda Stephens is a sophomore at Burr & Burton Academy. He lives in the cornfields of West Pawlet and enjoys hiking in the woods. This is his first year on the team but he has a basic understanding of robotics and is excited to learn more.
Zach
What I Do: Hardware
First Season: 2021-2022
Zach is in 7th grade at Maple Street School. He lives in Arlington, Vermont, and enjoys hanging out with his friends. He likes Math and Science, and he plays basketball in the winter.
Coaches
Patty Rutins – Team Coach
What I Do: Team Coach
Patty Rutins grew up in 4-H with horses, but recently she moved to robotics instead. Her excuse is that Aleks, her son, is a member. She earned a degree in Music and became a computer programmer, is currently a Senior Web Developer at The Orvis Company, Inc., and enjoys exploring all kinds of technology.
Meg Ruley – Team Coach
What I Do: Team Coach
Meg Ruley is a coach of the Manchester Machine Makers and the mother of team member Charlotte! She loves technology and learning about robotics.
Bob Ruley – Team Coach
What I Do: Team Coach
Bob Ruley is a first year robotics coach and a third year FIRST Robotics parent. He is a middle school teacher, an avid fly fisherman and an enthusiastic home cook. He lives in Manchester Center with his family.
David Lindenberg – Team Coach
What I Do: Team Coach
David Lindenberg is a first year FIRST Robotics parent and first year robotics coach. He is a special educator and has always had an interest in playing around with technology. He believes one of the best ways of learning is by making mistakes while trying new things; he also believes no matter how you learn, you should have fun doing it.
Mike Cole – Founding Mentor
What I Do: Founding Mentor
Mike is a 4-H Club Adult Counselor and lives in the Manchester area. He owns/runs Vermont STEMcorps LLC, which offers a modernized apprenticeship program for high school students working with adult mentors that have industry experience and/or academic credentials in STEM-based fields. Mike has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Thank you to our previous members as well.
FTC 16221 Manchester Machine Makers 