Mechanism
Intake
Picks game pieces up off the field and feeds them into the robot.
Robotics
Four seasons of FIRST robotics, always on the software side. Each season the robots got bigger, the code got more serious, and Leo took on more responsibility.
- Seasons4
- ProgramsFLL, FTC, FRC
- Role nowFRC 8033 software
- AwardFTC Design Award
What FIRST is
FIRST is a nonprofit that runs robotics competitions for students from elementary school through high school. Every season has a brand-new game, revealed at the start of the year, and teams design, build, and program a robot to play it.
The programs form a ladder. Leo has climbed all three rungs: FIRST LEGO League in middle school, FIRST Tech Challenge as software lead, and now FIRST Robotics Competition in high school.
FIRST LEGO League
2023–24 and 2024–25 / Software
In FIRST LEGO League Challenge, teams build a robot from LEGO and program it to complete missions on a themed game table. The robot runs on its own: once it leaves the launch area, the code is in charge. Teams also run a research project and are judged on their robot design and teamwork.
2023–24
MASTERPIECE
An arts-themed season. Missions on the table were built around creating and sharing art.
2024–25
SUBMERGED
An ocean-exploration season, with missions built around discovering and protecting what's under the sea.
Leo's role
Writing the robot's missions
Leo was on the software side both seasons, writing the code the robot ran to complete its missions. Because the robot runs without a driver, every turn, distance, and arm movement has to be right in the code, and every run is a test of how reliable it is.
FIRST Tech Challenge
2025–26 / Team 11201 Piedmont Pioneers / Software lead
FIRST Tech Challenge is the step up from LEGO: robots are built from metal and plastic kit parts, and they must start each match small enough to fit in an 18-inch cube. Every match begins with a 30-second autonomous period, followed by two minutes of driver control, with two teams working together as an alliance. Robots are usually programmed in Java.
2025–26
DECODE
Robots collect game pieces called artifacts and launch them into their alliance's goal. That makes two mechanisms central to any robot: one that picks pieces up, and one that shoots them.
Leo's role
Software lead
Leo led the team's software and worked on the robot's shooter and intake, the two mechanisms at the heart of the DECODE game.
Mechanism
Shooter
Launches game pieces into the goal. A shooter's code decides how fast and when to fire.
Design Award
The team won the Design Award, which recognizes a robot whose design is both functional and well thought out.
FIRST Robotics Competition
2026–27 / Team 8033, Piedmont High School / Software subteam
FIRST Robotics Competition is the top of the ladder: full-size robots built by high school teams with the help of mentors. The game is revealed each January at Kickoff, and teams have a matter of weeks to design, build, and program a robot before their first event. Matches start with an autonomous period, then switch to driver control.
FRC robots are programmed with WPILib, which officially supports Java, C++, and Python. That means Leo's favorite language is a real option for competition code, and his Java and C++ carry straight over too.
Now
First season on Team 8033
Leo is a freshman on Piedmont High's FRC team, on the software subteam. The season's game will be revealed at Kickoff in January 2027.
How the code grew
Each program asked for more from the software.
| Program | Seasons | Who's driving | Robot code | Leo's role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLL | 2023–25 | Always the code | LEGO robot missions | Software |
| FTC | 2025–26 | Code for 30 s, then drivers | Usually Java | Software lead |
| FRC | 2026–27 | Code first, then drivers | Java, C++, or Python | Software subteam |