Rookie Robotics

Growing up visiting Nepal, I often showed my EV3 robot to local friends whose schools lacked STEM resources — their wide-eyed curiosity tempered by having no way to act on it. That memory stayed with me and became Rookie Robotics: schools in Nepal lacked access to robotics equipment and technical curriculum, and one-time donations rarely translate into programs that last beyond the initial gift.

Founder — fundraising, curriculum, logistics, and long-term program design.

Founder-led — partnered with Tri-Valley Robotics and FiSec Global Inc. for funding support, and worked directly with school administrators and instructors in Damak, Nepal to run the program locally.

Raised funds and robotics equipment, then worked directly with schools to deploy equipment, train instructors, and build curriculum designed to keep programs running independently after launch.

Combined equipment sourcing and logistics with a structured curriculum built for sustained use by local instructors rather than one-off workshops.

Built a full curriculum from scratch and sourced LEGO SPIKE kits rather than adapting an existing program, and personally contributed $4,000 toward the initial launch.

A few months before launch, two of the schools asked to add fifty more students than originally planned — a request I couldn't turn down, but with no time left to run additional fundraisers. I went back to organizations that had supported the program before, and after several meetings with Tri-Valley Robotics and FiSec Global Inc., secured $1,000 toward the roughly $1,600 gap. I covered the rest by picking up extra shifts at work, closing the gap in time to buy the additional kits and secure the remaining resources.

Raised and deployed more than $5,000 in robotics equipment, established permanent programs at four schools, and received the Girl Scouts Gold Award for the project.

Every extra shift was worth it the moment I taught the kickoff workshop and watched the first batch of students design and code their first robots — their curiosity turning into confidence in real time. The schools have kept their programs running since, and are preparing to compete this year.