ABOUT US

The Tech Tigers started doing STEM 13 years ago and have all been friends ever since. Over time, the team has expanded and new members have joined. Time to meet the team!

Alex Kuriakose (Captain)...

Is a 17 year old senior from Sharon, MA. This is his 10th year with FIRST. He joined FTC because he has always been interested in robotics and computers, and he found it fascinating seeing those two components come together in FTC. Through FTC, he hopes to grow his coding skills, make awesome robots, and promote robotics in the community.

Fun fact: He fixed his first electronic device (a toy car) at age 4!

Josh Raikman (Captain)...

Is a 17 year old senior from Sharon, MA. This is his 6th year with FIRST. He joined FTC because he enjoys building and coding, and thought FTC would be a fun experience. Through FTC, he hopes to learn more advanced software and hardware concepts, and learn how to apply these skills to the real world.

Fun fact: He enjoys woodworking and sailing!

Sriram Kethineni...

Is a 16 year old junior from Sharon, MA. This is his 4th year with FIRST. He joined FTC because he loved building innovative solutions to problems in FLL, and wanted to take the next logical step by joining an FTC team. Through FTC, he hopes to learn how to properly design, build, and iterate on electrical and mechanical systems and apply his skills towards helping people in the real world. He likes to play ultimate frisbee, camp, and play watersports.

Fun fact: He watched his favorite movie 15 times in the span of a few months!

Sid Rajaram...

Is a 15 year old 9th grader from Sharon, MA. This is his 4th year with FIRST. He is deeply in love with Jinu

Jinu Rajaram...

Is a 18 year old 12th grader from Sharon, MA. This is his 1st year with FIRST. He is deeply in love with Sid, but cheating on him with Rumi

Heidi Seshadri...

Is a 14 year old freshman from Sharon, MA. This is her 5th year with FIRST. She joined FTC because she has always been interested in robotics and engineering, and wanted to learn more about it. Through FTC, she hopes to learn more advanced hardware concepts and help the community learn more about robotics. She enjoys baking and exploring cultures through food.

Fun fact: She has ziplined down a 3,000 foot mountain!

Ayush Chandra...

Is a 15 year old 9th grader from Sharon, MA. This is his 4th year with FIRST. He joined FTC because of his love for robotics and technology, and he wanted to continue building on the skills, experiences, and memories he gained during my previous FLL seasons. Through FTC, he hopes to build his coding knowledge and become well-versed with CAD, all while making new friends along the way. He enjoys playing the piano, building LEGOs, and playing video games.

Fun fact: He likes to race karts, bikes, and more with his friends!

ALUmni (FTC)

Amulya Ponnapalli (2017 - 2026)...

Is a current undergrad at Northeastern University from Sharon, MA. She finished her 9th year with FIRST. She joined FTC because she loves mechanical design and wants to use her existing skills in real life situations. Through FTC, she hopes to help the community, build strong mechanical design skills, and learn how to be a good leader.

Fun fact: She can juggle and loves chocolate milk!

Alyssa Ugent (2022 - 2026)...

Is a current undergrad at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from Sharon, MA. She finished her 4th year with FIRST. She joined FTC because she has always been interested in learning more about engineering and robotics, and FTC is a great way to do that. Through FTC, she hopes to learn building, programming, and leadership skills.

Fun fact: She grows over 30 different kinds of succulents in her garden!

Rishi Ponnapalli (2017 - 2025)...

Is a current undergrad at Northeastern University from Sharon, MA. He finished his 8th year with FIRST. He joined FTC because he thinks it's a great way to learn about mechanical design, programming, and event planning. Through FTC, he hopes to learn how to build and program an effective robot and how to run cool events.

Fun fact: He will watch any sport, but baseball and football are his favorites!

Sava Kassev (2017 - 2018, 2021 - 2025)...

Is a current undergrad at University of California, Berkley from Sharon, MA. He finished his 5th year with FIRST. He joined FTC because he is passionate about robotics and has always loved building things. Through FTC, he hopes to expand his knowledge of the engineering process and grow as a critical thinker.

Fun fact: He is of Bulgarian heritage and was born in Iowa!

Govind Velamoor (2021 - 2025)...

Is a current undergrad at Yale University from Sharon, MA. He finished his 9th year with FIRST. He joined FIRST because when he participated in FLL last year and at competitions, he would see FTC and FRC team robots which made him curious about how these robots were designed, built, and how they worked. Through FIRST, he wants to learn how to impact the community around him, and learn to build and program robots.

Fun fact: He can solve a Rubik's Cube!

Pranav Kollipara (2023 - 2024)...

Is a current senior from Dover, MA. He finished his 5th year with FIRST. He joined FTC because he wants to learn more about robots, building, and coding. Through FTC, he hopes to learn about the robot's design process and how to code in Java. He is an avid Patriots fan and likes to swim and play tennis.

Fun fact: He was born on Friday the 13th!

Vybhav Velamoor (2023 - 2024)...

Is a current senior from Sharon, MA. He finished his 8th year with FIRST. He joined FTC because he thinks it's a great way to gain more experience with robotics and STEM after participating in FLL for several years. Through FTC, he hopes to build up mechanical skills with Onshape, as well as improve in programming. A fun fact about him is that he's really good at geography!

Aadi Kaul (2017 - 2023)...

Is a current undergrad at Dartmouth University from Sharon, MA. He finished his 6th year with FIRST. He joined FTC because he wanted to grow as an engineer and so he could have a platform where he can run events for the FIRST community. Through FTC, he hopes to learn how to build a robot from start to finish and how to use a CAD software. A fun fact about him is that he is an excellent whistler!

Alisha Mehta (2017 - 2023)...

Is a current undergrad at Carnegie Melon University (CMU) from Sharon, MA. She finished her 8th year with FIRST. She joined FTC because she loves the challenge it provides and she likes meeting different and talented people. Through FTC, she hopes to learn how to navigate the robot using java programming and how to create a team budget. A fun fact about her is that she is an Aquarius!

Rishabh Tole (2017 - 2023)...

Is a current undergrad at University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) from Walpole, MA. He finished his 5th year with FIRST. He joined FTC so he could pursue his interests in the engineering field by participating in competitions. Through FTC, he hopes to advance his skills in Java and use concepts like object detection and machine learning. A fun fact about him is that he's participated in national singing competitions and has become a finalist!

Arya Bhat (2019 - 2022)...

Is a current undergrad at University of Massachusetts (UMass) from Franklin, MA. He finished his 4th year with FIRST. He joined FTC because he is interested in mechanical design and likes conducting outreach events. Through FTC, he hopes to improve his communication and mechanical skills. A fun fact about him is that he creates logos in his free time!

Not pictured:

Vanya Nar, current junior (2023 - 2026)
Robert Grassfield, current junior (2023 - 2025)
Abhi Venigalla, current senior (2024 - 2025)
Harsha Kollipara, current sophomore (2023 - 2024)

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