Intern Spotlight: Hari

Say hello to Hari, our second #NationalInternDay spotlight for 2024. Hari is one of our Mechanical Engineering Interns and a rising junior at Hebron High School. 

What inspired you to do what you do?

From a young age, I've always been interested in technology, so much so that it became a lifelong passion to educate myself on the newest tech. With the help of my parents, I took on several personal projects to learn how to code in different programming languages, and use tools like 3D printers. Then, I found FIRST as an avenue to be able to pursue this interest. In elementary school, I helped start a community FLL team, kicking off my FIRST journey. Design, software, build; it made me feel an instant connection to the world of robotics. After 2 years, I decided to continue in the program to FTC, and instantly fell in love with the sport. I quickly developed a passion for the competition fueled by genuine interest and competitiveness. It helped me realize the extent of my interest and dedication to robot software, building on the projects I'd worked on when I was younger. However, the next leg of the journey in FRC helped me hear my true calling. In three years of competing in FTC, I'd heard about a community FRC team in my area for a while, and jumped at the opportunity to join them. It wasn't long before I found an even stronger passion in the field of CAD design, manufacturing, and mechanical. In FRC I'd found a place where I truly enjoyed being challenged along with the people around me. I met and became friends with many intelligent designers both on Team BBQ and in the FRC community, helping me learn and build valuable skills. Today I enjoy the opportunity to work in this field at REV and in FRC, as I continue my mechanical engineering journey!

How long have you been a part of robotics?

I've been a part of robotics for 8 years. I participated in FIRST Lego League for 2 years, FIRST Tech Challenge for 3 years, and am currently in my 4th year participating in FIRST Robotics Competition. (My guilty pleasure is binging mixes of old and new FRC robot videos.) I am currently on FRC Team 2714 BBQ, serving as the CAD & Mechanical Lead.

What brought you to REV?

My FRC team works out of the REV warehouse, and over the past 3 years I've had the opportunity of meeting and working with several amazing engineers and people I've learned a lot from. I wanted to continue this and get hands on experience in mechanical engineering at the industry scale, and REV has allowed me to do so, working on robotics every day within the amazing work environment. REV is a company I've always seen as a pillar of the FIRST and STEM education community, and I knew it'd be a perfect fit as I continue my aspirations in engineering.

What else would you like to share with us?

• Outside of robotics, my hobbies are basketball, CAD, 3D printing, and video games.
• My strengths are thinking ahead and visualizing, whether it be in the context of CAD and robots, or planning my day in general.
• I can't live without Onshape, Spotify, my phone and laptop. I listen to pop music while I work.
• The best advice I've recived is to celebrate new mistakes, just don't repeat them.
• My favorite quote is: "Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise." -Kobe Bryant

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