Meet Our Team! – Mentors
Adam Stockton
Employer/Occupation: KeyBank / Software Developer
Years involved in FIRST: 17
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Scouting, Imagery, Treasurer
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Try Not to Overthink Things!
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: A.D.I.D.A.S- korn
Bob Vasko
Employer/Occupation: MAHLE/ Engineer Director
Years involved in FIRST: 20
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Build
Favorite Part About Robotics: Solving Problems
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Don’t Be Afraid To Try Something New
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: : We Are The Champions!
Bruce McCarthy
Employer/Occupation: BMW of buffalo, Master technician
Years involved in FIRST: 3
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Build
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Build Something Everyday
Favorite Part About Robotics: Seeing The Kids Develop Skills For The Real World
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: Journey
Fred The Fish
Employer/Occupation: Fish
Years involved in FIRST: 1
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Water
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Just Keep Swimming
Favorite Part About Robotics: The Pineapple In My Tank
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: Under The Sea
Hope Wright
Employer/Occupation: Lockport Highschool- Computer Tech Teacher
Years involved in FIRST: 1
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Programing/ Undecided
Favorite Part About Robotics: Seeing Students Solve Complex Problems And Seeing Them Teach Others
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Girls Can Do Tech Stuff Too!
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: Defying Gravity – Wicked
Jeffrey P. Rogowski
Employer/Occupation: Secondary Technology Educator
Years involved in FIRST: 23
Role/Area of expertise of the team: President
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Try Not to Overthink Things!
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: Don’t Stop Believing
Jeremy Stoddard
Employer/Occupation: Moog (NF) – Project/Product Engineering Intern, UB EE MS Student
Years involved in FIRST: 9
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Build
Favorite Part About Robotics: Seeing an idea from a student become a physical portion of that year’s robot
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Try Not to Overthink Things!
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: Don’t Stop Believing
Jessica McCarthy
Employer/Occupation: A&A Beauty Supply ~ Executive Assistant
Years involved in FIRST: 3
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Outreach/Media
Favorite Part About Robotics: Watching Students Succeed
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Soak Up Every Moment- The Older You Get The Faster Time Goes!
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: : Journey- Don’t Stop Believing
Joel Yacono
Employer/Occupation: Self employed volunteer
Years involved in FIRST: 26
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Logistic, Design and build
Favorite Part About Robotics: To See The Students Learn And Grow
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Do more to challenge yourself
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: Don’t Stop believing
Kelly Topolski
Employer/Occupation: Author
Years involved in FIRST: 8
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Programming
Favorite Part About Robotics: Seeing Everyone Work Together At Competition. Even Though Everyone Is Competing Against Each Other, The Students Are Always Willing To Help Each Other Out!
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Its Okay To Be Yourself Don’t Let Others Guide Your Actions
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: Loser, Baby(Hazbin Hotel Soundtrack)
Michael Lieber
Employer/Occupation: Teacher in the Lockport City School District
Years involved in FIRST: 20
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Team Support / Student Support
Favorite memory about Robotics: Winning the FLL Champions Award, attending Worlds and earning Robot Dependability at Worlds
If You Were a Flavor of Ice Cream Which Would You Be And Why: Cherry Garcia – Because I’m mainly boring plain Vanilla, but every once in a while I’m fun and exciting. Plus Ben and Jerry and the Grateful Dead are Awesome!
Michael Root
Employer/Occupation: Welder – Root’s Quality Welding
Years involved in FIRST: 11
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Build
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Try Not to Overthink Things!
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: Don’t Stop Believing
Mike Stutz
Employer/Occupation: GMCH Toolroom Machinist
Years involved in FIRST: 14
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Build
Favorite Part About Robotics: The Look On Students Faces When They Make Their Own Part
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Don’t Be Afraid To Fail, That’s Where Some Of The Best Lessons Are Learned
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: Wheels On The Bus
Noah Raymond
Employer/Occupation: Technology Teacher
Years involved in FIRST: 19
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Build
Favorite Part About Robotics: Watching Students Turning Into Problem Solvers
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Take More Chances!
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: Cake-The Distance
Rachel Bucci
Employer/Occupation: Great Lakes Medical Imaging/Director of Billing
Years involved in FIRST: 7
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Outreach and Media
Favorite Part About Robotics: Watching The Amazing Students On The Team bring A Robot To Life
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Your Intuition Is Almost Always Right
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: Friends In Low Places-Garth Brooks Vanilla
Steve Barnes -Woodie Flowers Winner
Employer/Occupation: GM/Delpw Skill Trade ( Machine repairman)
Years involved in FIRST: 20
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Build
Favorite Part About Robotics: I enjoy being able to spend time working with bright and motivated students and mentors accomplishing something incredible together year after year.
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: There Is Never Enough Time, So Do It Right The First Time, But When There Is Enough Time Do It Again
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: I Did It My Way – Frank Sinatra ( Mr. Barnes Didn’t Want To Answer The Question But The Students Always Find Him Singing This Song When It Comes On)
Sue Vasko
Employer/Occupation: MAHLE (Sr. Engineering & SAP Analyst)
Years involved in FIRST: 19
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Build
Favorite Part About Robotics: Watching how the students grow and progress through their participation on the Team. (And Saturday team lunches during build season!)
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Don’t Be Afriad To Try New Things. Don’t Let The Fear Of Failure Stop You From Trying Anything …. As Not Trying Is The Only Guaranteed Failure. We Learn MORE From Our Mistakes, But Try Not To Keep Making The Same Ones Over And Over!
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: The Cupid Shuffle – But With Mr. Vasko’s Modifications
Tim Brounscheidel
Employer/Occupation: Retired
Years involved in FIRST: 10
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Electrical/Programming
Favorite Part About Robotics: Seeing A Students Facial Expression When They Grasp A New Concept
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Buy Amazon
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: Luckebbach Texas
Tyler Halifax
Employer/Occupation: College Student GM InternShip
Years involved in FIRST: A Whole Lot
Role/Area of expertise of the team: Programing
Favorite Part About Robotics: Seeing Everyone Use Their Brains And Letting Loose
What Is A Piece Of Advice That You Wish You Could’ve Heard When You Were Younger: Its Okay To Know How Cool You Are
What Is Your Go To Karaoke Song: Toxic – Britney Spears