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Harsh Padhye
Class of 2019
University of Virginia

Hello! My name is Harsh Padhye, and I am the Chief Software Officer for Nemesis 2590. I’ve been on the team for 4 years now, and my time in FIRST Robotics has proved to be unequivocally gratifying and enjoyable. From programming the robot to cheering it on with the team during competitions, every minute with my teammates at Nemesis has been memorable. I began my journey in freshman year, eager to join the team and explore the realm of engineering. Taking computer science classes in school, I quickly discovered my affinity for software engineering. I enjoyed applying my classroom knowledge to solve real-world engineering problems. Since then, I’ve been coding subsystems, formulating autonomous routines, and tuning vision tracking algorithms for the robot. My favorite part of FIRST robotics, however, is the competitions. Whether I’m sitting in the stands waving pom-poms and banners, or down on the field operating the robot during a match, I am always enamored by the incredible atmosphere. Moreover, FIRST’s ability to connect teams from across the world has astounded and amazed me. I’ve made countless friends from teams across nation—even one bestie in France—and I couldn’t have done it without robotics.

Apart from robotics and software, I am the Vice President of the Robbinsville’s Model United Nations club and a varsity soccer player. I spend my precious free time listening (perhaps even dancing) to music and playing video games with my friends. I also enjoy watching professional soccer (go Bayern Munich!), reading timeless pieces of literature, and surfing our town’s Facebook page. I intend to earn a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science in college, and pursue a masters or a doctoral degree in the future. I cannot wait to see what my final build and competition season at Nemesis 2590 has to offer!