Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1010078
56 SMT007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2018 Interview by Happy Holden I-CONNECT007 On the floor of the recent Wisconsin SMTA Annual Tech Forum, I-Connect007 Technical Editor Happy Holden sat down with Aaron Denk, representing the local Cedarburg High School's robotics team. Happy Holden: Aaron, how did you get involved with this activity? Aaron Denk: I started on the robotics team as a freshman, just kind of absorbing the information, learning the techniques and tasks and things like that, and then I evolved into more of a leader, teaching the up-and-coming students as they came into the program. I was part of the program all four years of high school and I have continued being a mentor as I go through college, as well. Holden: How did this affect what you chose to do in college? Denk: As a high school freshman, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I knew that I enjoyed- working with my hands, but I really had no clear direction as to what I wanted to do. Being a part of the high school robotics team really showed me that I had the love for mechanical engineering and it guided me to what I wanted to pursue in a degree and a career throughout the rest of my life. It taught me skills that other students in my classes did not have, putting me one step ahead of the others. Holden: You mentioned that now you have the role of a mentor. What's that like on a team like this? Denk: The high school robotics team is student- led and student-driven. The students make the Interview with a High School Robotics Team Mentor Aaron Denk