Meet The 2026 Circuit Trees

Eloise Pelham

I am a senior at Gibson Ek, and I’ve been on the team for three years. I’m the current captain and enjoy programming. I chose to run for that role as I am passionate about helping people find out what they’re capable of.

Pavel Golenkov

I manage the business team and take care of fundraising and ensuring we have everything ready for competition.

Will Kheriaty

Will Kheriaty is the think team lead. This is his second year on GEHS robotics, and he hopes to continue the momentum next year. He is just getting to learn robotics but loves both the subject matter and the culture, and is very excited to be on the team.

Jos Kucel

I, along with my peers in the more technical teams, help to turn the bundle of wires and plastic called sirSwimsALot — into a functioning robot.

Alex Frederickson

I'm Alex Frederickson, and I am our Act Team Lead. This is my second year being part of this team. I work to make sure all of the physical parts of the robot are and stay functioning, as well as add new parts when we get them.

Hudson Temple

I joined the robotics team this year because I enjoy helping out with the business side of engineering and I’m looking forward to improving my skills.

Jacob Bongaarts

Kaylee Tinder

I float around the Sense, Think, and Act teams, and I help out when they need it.

Maeve Kneale

I joined to widen my community and grow my skills in communication to diversify my experiences.

Skylar Van Veelen

I joined to be a part of a team and to learn technology and business. Currently I am helping with the videography and photography to document what our team does.

Tim Fisher

Zach Frisbie

Dan

I'm a 28-year Microsoft veteran, having led a variety of teams in planning, developing and designing cutting-edge technology in Windows, Windows Phone, Windows and Azure Services, IoT, robotics, physical and agentic AI and a founding team member of Xbox. I've been infatuated with robots since I was a child, and enjoy understanding all electro-mechanical systems and control systems. My personal hobbies and professional interests all revolve around control systems: from Electric DeLoreans, to Pinball, to Robots, to Toys.

I co-started the Washington University competitive robotics team in 1997, and I have been coaching, volunteering and mentoring in robotics programs since 2012. I started the Gibson Ek robotics team when the school was formed in 2016 with the vision of creating a high school robotics program where the kids do all the work and lead the club. I'm extremely proud of our rookie team from RoboSub 2024, and our continued growth and success in 2025 and 2026.

Coach Angie

I’ve been a mentor with the Gibson Ek Robotics Club since the 2024 Robo-Sub competition. I hold a B.A. in Experimental Psychology from Millikin University and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Northwestern University. After over a decade in science and industry, I transitioned to coaching full-time and now run a fencing academy focused on Olympic saber fencing for youth and teens. My work with the robotics club reflects my passion for mentoring and love of science.

Coach Paul

I am excited to rejoin the club for the '26 season! It is fantastic to help coach like-minded students with a passion for hands-on electronics and systems engineering. My undergraduate degree is in electrical engineering from Northwestern University, and I later returned to Northwestern to complete my Master of Engineering Management degree. For the past 26 years I have worked at T-Mobile USA, and I currently work full time at our corporate headquarters where I am the Director of Technology Economics for T-Mobile Research.

Victoria Kucel

Victoria is a high school science educator at Gibson Ek High School in Issaquah, Washington, where she supports students in turning big questions into meaningful, real-world projects. Her work centers on project-based learning, design thinking, scientific reasoning, collaboration, and helping students build the confidence to tackle complex challenges. She has presented on education through the Seattle Times Ignite Education Talks and has been a speaker for the Tourette Association of America in both 2024 and 2025, sharing her perspective as an educator and advocate. As an advisor to the Gibson Ek RoboSub team, Victoria is proud to support students as they design, build, test, revise, and compete on an international stage, doing exactly the kind of ambitious, authentic learning schools should make possible.