Mentors

FRC Mentors

Jeanette Breton

Mentor Role:

Advise, coach, encourage, support

Team:

Business

Favorite Memory:

Seeing student faces light up when they accomplish something unexpected

Favorite Food:

Mexican


David Baron

Mentor role:

Mechanical, 3D Printing, Problem Solving

Team:

3D Printing

Favorite Robotics Memory:

The overall experience at my first competition at the Arizona North Regional in 2022: amazing energy, amazing stress and excitement, amazing success!

Fun Fact:

I'm one of three sets of twins in my immediate family.

Connor Brezenski

Mentor Role:


Team:

Scouting

Fun Fact:


Darius DeSpain

Mentor Role:

Impact Award

Teams:

Awards and Strategy

Favorite Robotics Memory:

At my very first FRC regional as a student in 2013, our team showed up to the regional with no electronics connected together. I worked a 14 hour day on that Thursday to wire up our entire control system. We made it to every single one of our qualification matches and played.

Fun Fact:

I collect classic leather shoes and boots.

Alumnus of FRC Team 3008

Craig Johnson

Mentor Role:

Awards, Fundraising, Outreach, Presentations

Teams:

Business & Outreach

Fun Fact:

Huge Elvis Fan

Favorite Robotics Memory:

Winning the 2019 CO Regional, team member excitement, and heading to World's for the team's first time.  Our High School Principal said, "This is Friday Night Lights for these students isn't it?!"  Yes, yes it is! 

Favorite Food:

Brats!

Who is someone you look up to?

Teachers

Do you have any life advice to give?

"Relentlessly pursue that which sets your soul on fire" (Scheel's Sports Store quote) 

Matt Middleton

Mentor Role:

All things build and construction

Teams:

CAD, Special Projects (and any others that need help)

Favorite Robotics Memory:

The 2018 scrimmage at Coronado when 4068 was the only robot to dual climb with another team. The excitement and looks of pride on our team's faces were awesome.

Favorite Food:

Prime rib

Who is someone you look up to?

Mike Rowe (from "Dirty Jobs" & "Deadliest Catch" fame)

Do you have any life advice to give?

Never be afraid to be yourself. 

Eric VanDenHoek

Mentor Role:

Mechanical, Pit Lead

Teams:

Mechanical & Drive Team

Favorite Robotics Memory:

Faceplant, Rebuild, & Compete!

Fun Fact:

I once fixed a MotoGuzzi motorcycle with a clothes washer lid switch that I found in a junkyard while in Mexico.

FTC Mentors

Jonathan Deeds

Mentor Role:


Team:


Industry Specialty:

Operations Research using multi-variable optimization techniques to solve specific manufacturing and distribution problems

Fun Fact:

Sometimes a problem reformulation is required to see the way toward a solution. this has practical application in many aspects of life.

Nathan Edwards

Mentor Role:

Engineering

Teams:

Architecture & Design, Prototype & Test

Industry Specialty:

Embedded Electronics & Prototyping

Fun Fact:

I love getting to speak "science" in my day job - physics, chemistry, math, data science, and all engineering related fields.

Ben Rosen

Mentor Role:

Building, Construction, Engineering

Team:

Helping wherever needed

Industry Specialty:


Favorite Food:

Asian, Italian

eck zimmermann

Mentor Role:

Engineering

Teams:

Manipulator, Mobility, Fabrication

Industry Specialty:

Eckehart is a mechanical engineer by profession and in the past has worked for Hewlett Packard and Cray Computer Corp. For the last 25 years he has been the owner of Triad Engineering Inc. Engineering consulting services are primarily focused on providing DFM (Design for Manufacturing) services to companies both in the US and overseas. Companies have included Baxa Medical, Kleen Kanteen, Barber-Nichols, Surgical Pioneering Inc, Zwipe Inc. as well as inventors looking to take their products to market.