We are the Pastabots

Meet the the Mentors and student leadership team!

Adult Mentors

Lauren Hamel

Head Coach & Lead Technical Mentor

TWHS Teacher

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 three dogs, traveling, and restoring antiques.

Jennifer Davies

Assistant Coach & Lead Logistical Mentor

TWHS Teacher

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!)

Kenneth Spark

Technical Mentor

Parent Volunteer

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).

Lex Hernandez

Programming Mentor

TWHS Teacher

Mr. Hernandez is the Computer Science Teacher at The Woodlands High School. He helps the robot programming team. He originally ran a Junior High FTC competition team for five years and is extremely excited to step up to FRC this year!

Kevin Gilmore

Technical Mentor

Community Volunteer

Mr. Gilmore joined the Pastabots in August 2025. He will assist the team with mechanical tasks and manufacturing processes. Mr. Gilmore graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology, and is a retired engineer from the manufacturing industry with a background working with a variety of products and processes. His hobbies include 3D-printing and robotics.

2025 - 2026 FRC student LEADERSHIP

William "Sparky" Spark

President

Sparky is a Senior who joined the Pastabots in June 2023. Sparky will be the Pastabots President for the 2026 REBUILT FRC season. In this role he will oversee the student-driven side of team operations, with an extra emphasis on robot design/assembly/testing, and community outreach. As team President, Sparky is the student-liaison between the team members and the mentors, school, and community. Sparky also co-leads our work with the Conroe ISD Junior High FTC program. Sparky's hobbies include CAD (no joke) and drinking Coke Zero. He plans on majoring Mechanical Engineering in college.

Ishita Rajan

Vice-President

Ishita is a Senior who joined the Pastabots in August 2023. She will be our Team Vice President for the 2026 REBUILT FRC season. In this role she will assist the Team President in overseeing team operations, with specific emphasis on team media/marketing, community outreach, robot assembly, and programming. Ishita also co-leads our work with the Conroe ISD Junior High FTC program and she volunteers with Team Tortellini. Ishita's hobbies include playing guitar, painting, and reading. Ishita plans to major in Aerospace Engineering in college.

Rijul rajasakthivel

Mechanical Lead

Rijul is a Senior who joined the Pastabots in June 2023. Rijul will be the Pastabots Mechanical Lead for the 2026 REBUILT FRC season. In this role he will oversee all team construction projects, including all robot manufacturing and assembly processes. In his free time Rijul enjoys playing video games. He plans on majoring Mechanical Engineering in college.

Jamie Ji

CAD Lead

Jamie is a Senior who joined the Pastabots in January 2023. He will be our CAD Lead for the 2026 REBUILT FRC season. In this role he will oversee the design of the robot (from conception through the conclusion of the season), and ensure continuous iteration and improvement. Jamie is also a member of the Pastabots Media Team. Jamie's hobbies include basketball, drawing, and percussion. Jamie plans to major in Mechanical Engineering in college.

ALex Rangel

Assistant CAD Lead & Robot Operator

Alex is a Junior who joined the Pastabots in June 2024. Alex will be the Assistant CAD Lead for the the 2026 REBUILT FRC season; in this role, he will assist the CAD Lead with maintaining updated and organized CAD, and orchestrating design changes. Alex is also our Robot Operator, which means he is a member of the drive team and controls most non-driving systems on the robot at all events. Alex's hobbies include playing piano and Diamond Dotz. He plans on majoring in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in college.

Atharv Joshi

Co-Lead Programmer

Atharv is a Junior who joined the Pastabots in June 2024. He will be co-leading our programming team (along with Albert) for the 2026 REBUILT FRC season. In this role he will oversee general programming tasks (robot control systems and basic functionality) for both the autonomous and teleoperated periods of gameplay. Atharv's hobbies include basketball, cricket, and robotics. Atharv plans on majoring in Mechanical Engineering college.

Albert Lin

Co-Lead Programmer

Albert is a Junior who joined the Pastabots in June 2024. He will be co-leading our programming team (along with Atharv) for the 2026 REBUILT FRC season. In this role he will oversee robot vision, which includes finding new and interesting ways to integrate the robot vision system into existing processes in order to improve on-field performance. Albert's hobbies include reading and watching YouTube. Albert plans on majoring in some type of Engineering in college.

Kaushal Mahimkar

Robot Driver

Kaushal is a Junior who joined the Pastabots in June 2024. Kaushal will be the Pastabots Robot Driver for the 2026 REBUILT FRC season, which means he is a member of the drive team and he is responsible for driving the robot at all events. Kaushal is also a vital member of the Programming Team. Kaushal's hobbies include robotics, basketball, video games, and school. He plans on majoring in Mecanical Engineering in college.

Naman Mahajan

Electrical Lead

Naman is a Junior who joined the Pastabots in June 2024. He will be our Electrical Lead for the 2026 REBUILT FRC season. In this role he will oversee the wiring, installation, maintenance, and operation of all of the electrical components on the robot. Naman's hobbies include reading fiction, volunteering, and playing tennis. He plans on majoring in Biomedical Engineering in college for Pre-Med.

Andrew Ripa

Shop Manager

Andrew is a Junior who joined the Pastabots in June 2024. Andrew will be the Pastabots shop manager for the 2026 REBUILT FRC season. In this role he will oversee the lab and machine shop, ensuring the proper usage and maintenance of all tools, and he will oversee all wood projects. Andrew also leads our Team Tortellini TWHS outreach project. Andrew's hobbies include reading sci-fi and Tae Kwon Do. He plans on majoring in Cybersecurity or Robotics in college.

Sameer Rahman

Media Lead

Sameer is a Junior who joined the Pastabots in June 2024. He will be our Media Lead for the 2026 REBUILT FRC season. In this role he will oversee all aspects of our media team, which includes team social media content, creation of videos (writer, director, and editor), and production of any other marketing materials. Sameer's hobbies include playing piano and guitar, singing, going to the gym, and playing sports. He plans on majoring in Mechanical Engineering in college for Pre-Med.

frc LEadership iNFORMATION & nOMINATIONS:

Leadership Position Information (detailed descriptions)

Leadership Position Nomination Form

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