We are the Pastabots

Ms. Hamel has been a physics teacher at The Woodlands High school since 2013 and has been mentoring FIRST Robotics teams since 2018. Ms. Hamel leads the robot design and build, manages and maintains the lab, oversees all team community outreach projects, and serves as the lead team administrator; Ms. Hamel is also the drive coach and strategy lead for the team at all competitions. Ms. Hamel is a graduate of The Woodlands High School and Texas A&M University. Aside from building awesome robots and teaching AP Physics, Ms. Hamel enjoys hanging out with her two dogs, traveling, and restoring antiques.

Mrs. Davies has taught chemistry and physics since 2002 and has been a TWHS faculty member since 2005. She has been a mentor for the Pastabots since 2020. Mrs. Davies is primarily responsible for team finances (fundraising, budgeting, Booster Club) and travel; she also leads the scouting team and Pastabots cheering section from the stands at all competitions. Mrs. Davies is a native Houstonian and attended Westbury High School, followed by the University of Texas at Austin. When not at school, she enjoys swimming and traveling with her husband and two daughters. (She also taught Ms. Hamel in high school!)

Mr. Spark joined the Pastabots along with his son William at the start of the 2023 - 2024 school year. He assists the team with programming and electrical tasks, and also helps to scout and chaperone from the stands at events. Mr. Spark is a graduate of  Worchester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).

Mrs. Luddeke is Vice President of the TWHS Robotics Booster Club and is heavily involved in all of our fundraising efforts. Mrs. Luddeke also travels with the team in order to help chaperone and coordinate meals. She is retired from Exxon Mobil.

Team President (Officer)

Nicholas is in his second year as the Pastabots Team President. Nicholas is a senior who joined the Pastabots at the start of the 2022 school year after transferring to TWHS from The Netherlands. Nicolas leads our Pastabots Junior program and is the creator and an executive producer of our Toni the Robot book series. Outside of robotics, Nicholas enjoys photo and video editing. Nicholas plans to pursue an Electrical Engineering degree in college.

Team Vice President (Officer)

Ansh will be our Vice President for the 24-25 REEFSCAPE FRC season, and will be in his second year as our Robot Driver. Ansh is also a member of our Programming Team and oversees the TWHS Announcements App. Ansh is a senior who joined TWHS Robotics in August 2022. Outside of robotics, Ansh enjoys playing basketball with friends and computer programming. Ansh hopes to major in Electrical & Computer Engineering in college.

Robot Lead (Officer)

Amit is a senior who joined the Pastabots in August 2022. He will be our Robot Lead and Robot Operator for the 2025 REEFSCAPE FRC season. In this role he will oversee the design, construction, and programming of the competition robot. Amit is also a member of our volunteer squad that runs the Pastabots Junior team. Amit's hobbies include basketball, video games and robotics, of course! Amit plans to major in Computer Engineering in college.

Business Lead (Officer)

Ishita is a Junior who joined the Pastabots in August 2023. She will be our Business Lead for the 2025 REEFSCAPE FRC season. In this role she will oversee our media team and all of our community outreach projects, including co-leading our Pastabots Junior program. Ishita's hobbies include playing guitar, painting, and reading. Ishita plans to major in Aerospace Engineering in college.

CAD Lead

Sparky is a Junior who joined the Pastabots in June 2023. He will be leading our CAD team for the REEFSCAPE FRC season. In this role he will oversee the design of the robot (from conception through the conclusion of the season). William also leads our Team Tortellini program and volunteers with Pastabots Junior. Sparky's hobbies include CAD (no joke) and drinking Coke Zero. He plans on majoring Robotics Engineering in college.

Mechanical Lead

Rijul is a Junior who joined the Pastabots in August 2023. He will be leading our Mechanical team for the REEFSCAPE FRC season. In this role he will work closely with the CAD team as he manages the construction of the robot (includes all machining and assembly). Rijul also contributes to our build-focused school improvement projects. Rijul's hobbies include soccer and video games. Rijul plans on majoring in Nuclear Physics in college.

Co-Lead Programmer

Jaxon is a Senior who joined the Pastabots in August 2022. He will be co-leading our programming team (along with Iaroslav) for the 2025 REEFSCAPE FRC season. In this role he will oversee robot vision, and he also assists with the planning of our Team Tortellini school outreach project. Jaxon's hobbies include playing video games and coding video game mods. Jaxon plans on majoring Biology with a minor in computer science in college.

Co-Lead Programmer

Yaro is a Senior who joined the Pastabots in August 2022. He will be co-leading our programming team (along with Jaxon) for the 2025 REEFSCAPE FRC season. In this role he will oversee general programming tasks (robot control systems and basic functionalty), and he also volunteers with Pastabots Junior. Yaro's hobbies include playing video games and fencing. Yaro plans on majoring in Data Science in college.

Electrical Lead

Lucas is a Senior who joined the Pastabots in Augsut 2023. He will be our Electrical Lead for the 2025 REEFSCAPE FRC season. In this role he will oversee the wiring, installation and operation of all of the electrical components on the robot. Lucas also assists with our school improvement outreach team. Lucas's hobbies include video games, building things and homework. Lucas plans to major in Computer Engineering.

Media Lead

Jamie is a Junior who joined the Pastabots in January 2023. He will be our Media Lead for the 2025 REEFSCAPE FRC season. In this role he will oversee all aspects of our media team, which includes team social media, creation of videos and other marketing materials, and leading the Toni Book series (as the primary creative director and editor). Jamie's hobbies include basketball, drawing, and percussion. Jamie plans to major in Industrial Design in college.

Co-Shop & Safety Manager and Lead Scout

Jonathan is a senior who joined the Pastabots August 2022. He will be our Co-Shop & Safety Manager for the 2025 REEFSCAPE FRC season. In this role he will oversee the lab and machine shop, including the proper useage and maintenance of all tools. Jonathan will also oversee all wood construction projects in the lab. Jonathan also acts as the Lead Scout at events, delegating tasks to the members of the scouting team. Jonathan's hobbies include reading books and writing. Jonathan plans to major in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Physics in college.

Back-up Drive Team

Kaushal and Alex are both sophomores who joined the Pastabots this year. Kaushal is the REEFSCAPE back-up robot driver and on-field Human Player; he is also a junior-member of the programming team. Alex is the REEFSCAPE back-up robot operator and Strategy Assistant; he is also a junior-member of the mechanical/design team. Kaushal & Alex will become the permanent Pastabots Drive Team starting in the REEFSCAPE off-season (summer 2025) and continuing through their senior year of high school (spring 2027).