Emerson Segraves Interview (Team President, Dean's List Semi-Finalist, etc.)

Who is Emerson Segraves?

Emerson Segraves is currently a senior at Northview High School. She joined the Techno Titans in her sophomore year. During her junior year, she was the vice president of our team and was a semi-finalist for the Dean’s List Award in Peachtree District. She works at Chick-fil-A and enjoys activities such as playing soccer, chess, and tag. Emerson is proudly our team president and an electrical sub-team member this year, and she answered some questions about her role. 

Q&A

Q1: What got you interested in joining robotics? 

“I’ve always been interested in things that move and interact with parts of themselves. I love watching things go from sheets of aluminum and wires to suddenly rolling across the floor or lifting itself off the ground. This is why I decided to join FRC and Techno Titans.”

Q2: How would you describe your leadership role to someone unfamiliar with the role? 

“I work as the team harmonizer. I ensure all members of the team are coordinated and always working together. In other words, I check that the sub-teams work together to help build the robot, such as telling design if fabrication can or cannot do this or telling fabrication what electrical thinks of this. In managing the team, I talk with the mentors and administrators about our club to help improve it. Additionally, I like to interact with people around the team to help everyone feel included. I feel it is important to know all members of our team to create a bond between everyone. So, I’d say my role includes a lot of communication.” 

Q3: Before joining the team, did you have any outside experience that prepared you for this leadership position? 

“No, I had no experience in robotics or this position. Nevertheless, the Techno Titans took me in as a new member and taught me everything. When joining as a sophomore and not knowing anything, the team welcomed me and taught me how everything worked which allowed me to prepare for this role.” 

Q4: What is Dean’s List, how did you qualify for it, and what was your experience? 

“Dean’s List is an effort that recognizes students for their leadership and dedication to FIRST. Our team and mentors nominated me for the Dean’s List due to my substantial contribution to the team. What happens for Dean’s List is during a competition, I get interviewed about my commitment to the team. Honestly, I thought I failed the first interview and ruined a big win for our team; however, I made it to the next round and got a second interview in the next competition, a semi-finalist. The preparation process consists of my friends constantly asking sample questions that were online. Overall, it was a great and unique experience with very welcoming people that I would recommend to others.” 

Q5: What are some personal goals that you want to achieve this season? 

“As always, I would like to continue learning personal skills and topics about robotics as there is always something new to learn. I also want to create an environment where every team member feels valued, supported, and excited to contribute.” 

Q6: What are some team goals that you want to accomplish this season? 

“Currently our team is doing well, but we can keep improving. I would like to look back on previous versions of our robots and use the ideas to see what we can exceed for the upcoming season. In addition, I would like to have our team more engaged within the outreach and have a better connection with the kids rather than engaging with each other as members. Winning would be amazing, but what matters most to me is seeing us perform better than we ever have before.” 

From being a new member during her sophomore year, to becoming the vice president and a semi-finalist in the Dean’s List the next year, to now our club president in her final year. Emerson’s work for our team is greatly appreciated, and we cannot wait to see what Emerson has in store for us this year!