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2018 Team - going to FIRST World Championships
Our team has been in existence since 2018, check out where the Atom Smashers are at now.
Saskia Van Beers
Saskia Van Beers
What Year(s) did you learn with us? 2017-2018
Accomplishments with the team - Building , attended the FIRST World's Championship in Houston Texas 2018
Where are you now? I recently finished my Masters in Engineering Education, and am currently working as both a sessional instructor in the Engineering Science program at U of T and as a Systems Change Engineering Certification program manager for Engineers Without Borders Canada.
What did it mean to you to be an Atom Smasher? Being a part of the Atom Smashers gave me a place to belong and a safe and supportive place to explore my interest in engineering before university. Getting to attend World’s as a part of the team helped build my confidence as a woman in STEM. When I saw the designs of other students like us at World’s, I left inspired about the possibilities of creating a positive change as an engineer. I am grateful to the Atom Smashers for giving me the space to belong in STEM and for helping me believe in myself!
Zachariah Mears
Zachariah Mears
What Year did you learn with us? 2017-2018
Accomplishments with the team - Building, Design, CAD, attended the FIRST World's Chammpionship in Houston Texas 2018
Where are you now? I am a mechatronics engineer on the R&D team at Blue Robotics.
What did it mean to you to be an Atom Smasher?
Katja Verkerk
Katja Verkerk
What Year(s) did you learn with us? 2018-2021
Accomplishments with the team:
Attended the FIRST World's Championship in Houston Texas 2018
Building captain
Team Co-Captain 2020-2021
Where are you now? Katja is in Europe pursuing the dream of a professional athlete in Belgium.
Caeden Austin
Caeden Austin
What Year(s) did you learn with us? 2017-2019
Accomplishments with the team -
Builder/Driver
our team won Rookie All Star Award 2018 attended the FIRST World's Championship in Houston, Texas
Team Captain 2018-2019
Where are you now?
IBEW electrician, soon to obtain my red seal and working in Victoria in commercial construction.
Sam Graham
Sam Graham
What Year(s) did you learn with us? 2020-2021
Accomplishments with the team -
Designed MCU logic to drive linear actuators for turret pitch control
Implemented obstacle detection using ultrasonic sensors
Contributed to autonomous driving capabilities for competition
Introduced a Kanban dashboard to improve software task tracking and team agility
Where are you now?
I will be graduating this month with a degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo. During my studies I have continued developing my engineering skills through coursework and the co-op program. I have completed six internships at companies like General Dynamics, Nokia, and Tesla, where I have focused on systems software development, particularly in Embedded Linux. Starting next month, I will be moving to Palo Alto, California, to join Tesla’s Autopilot team full-time. There I will work on the positioning-engine pipeline of Tesla’s Full Self Driving (FSD) platform.
What did it mean to be an Atom Smasher?
Reflecting on my time in Atom Smashers, it is clear to me that this experience played a critical role in defining where I am today. The fond memories of staying late to bring up autonomous driving, and the crunch of preparing for competition will never be forgotten. Beyond being a tremendous amount of fun, Atom smashers was also an incredible opportunity for me to develop industry level experience in robotics early on. I had the opportunity to solve real world engineering problems alongside a highly motivated team. This experience has opened many doors for me and provided me with a strong foundation that I will always be grateful for.
Ava Olsson
Ava Olsson
What year(s) did you learn with us? 2021-2023
Accomplishments with the team:
Designing an FTC cone picking up claw prototype(2022),
Helping build parts and solder motors on Notorious CLP (2022),
Being safety captain and ensuring club members were aware of safety procedures and protocols (2022/2023),
Helping organize and stock inventory.
Where are you now?
I am now finishing my first year of mechanical engineering technology studies at Camosun College. Over the summer, I will be working at Camosun Innovates as a mechanical technologist. Like in high school, I like to exercise in my free time.
What did it mean to be an Atom Smasher?
Esquimalt Atom Smashers taught me some valuable collaboration and technical skills that I have utilised to get ahead in school. Specifically in learning Solidworks, project management, and any group labs I do. Most of all it ignited my passion for STEM, and I would not be in this field if it were not for the amazing growth and encouragement that Esquimalt atom smashers provides to students.
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