About Us
About Us
About Us
Growing Up with Robotics (GUR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fisclaly sponsored by The Hack Foundation. We promote STEM and robotics in our community. Since 2018, we have worked with TJHSST and Fairfax County Public Schools to deliver a student-designed robotics curriculum to FCPS Title I schools through classes, Saturday sessions, and summer camps, reaching over 2650+ students in total.
Meet the Team
Meet the Team
Meet the Team
Our team consists of highly motivated high school students from around the world, dedicated to creating meaningful change and inspiring the next generation of student leaders through hands-on activities, camps, and other events. If you’re interested in joining us, please fill out the Team Application Form on the main page!
Shawn Li
Co Founder & Co President
Shawn is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. He co-founded GUR to make a meaningful impact on students locally and globally, while building a team of talented and compassionate high schoolers who inspire the next generation of leaders. In his free time, Shawn enjoys playing piano and guitar, gaming, solving Rubik's Cube, and exploring new interests. You can find him at sh4wn.org.
Arnav Talreja
Co Founder & Co President
Arnav is a junior at TJHSST. He co-founded GUR to make a real impact in the robotics community, both globally and close to home, by helping more people learn technical skills, build with confidence, and compete in robotics competitions. Most importantly, he cares about making robotics something people genuinely enjoy being a part of. In his free time, Arnav likes playing tennis, gaming, and hanging out with friends.
Darrell Kao
Co Vice President
Darrell is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. He joined Growing Up With Robotics (GUR), where he works to expand access to STEM education and robotics for younger students. Darrell was inspired by the learning experience he has at TJ, and hopes to bring the same learning opportunities to others. Additionally hoping he can inspire the younger generation in STEM related topics. Outside of school, Darrell enjoys reading, playing video games, hanging out with friends, and doing Chinese yo-yo.
Surya Raj
Co Vice President
Surya is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. He joined Growing Up With Robotics (GUR) to expand his love for robotics beyond the classroom and competitions, and to help make STEM education more accessible to students everywhere. Inspired by the hands on engineering culture at TJ, Surya hopes to use his skills to mentor younger students and spark their curiosity in robotics and technology. Outside of school, Surya enjoys watching sports, gaming, learning about cars, and spending time with friends.
Victoria Lee
Director of Outreach
Victoria is a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. She is a member of the Outreach team of GUR wishing to impact students and to insure them in STEM. Outside of school, Victoria enjoys baking and instructing in Taekwondo.
Jae Kim
Director of Finance
Jae is a sophomore at Centreville High School. Jae enjoys spending time teaching children about robotics. He enjoys spending time with friends and playing games. He is also the best MC in the world.
Leah D'Cruz
Outreach
Leah is a freshman at TJHSST. She joined GUR to spread STEM education and passion for students. In her spare time, Leah enjoys playing instruments and reading.
Bridget Xiao
Director of Curriculum
Bridget is a sophomore at TJHSST in Northern Virginia. She joined GUR to provide students with a community and resource to learn engineering/ robotics. In her free time, Bridget likes to play volleyball, hang out with friends, and watch movies on Netflix. You can follow her on Instagram at bxq.xiao
Sarwani Dahal
Curriculum
My name is Sarwani and i enjoy doing robotics and stem related research. i also like designing and developing websites/ products! 💗 i have loved robotics and coding ever since i was a little girl. my favorite color is pink and i love puppies 😅🫰🏻
Ananya Sudharshan
Curriculum
Ananya Sudharshan is a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. She joined Gur to help make a meaningful impact on students both locally and globally while collaborating with a team of motivated and compassionate high schoolers. At TJ, Ananya enjoys exploring her interests in STEM and problem-solving. In her free time, she enjoys coding, debating, and spending time with friends while always looking for new things to learn.
Mission.
Mission.
Our mission is to inspire the next generation of innovators through robotics and STEM education. We provide hands-on learning experiences and mentorship that help students develop problem-solving skills, confidence, and leadership. By expanding access and opportunity, we empower students to explore their potential and shape their futures.
Our mission is to inspire the next generation of innovators through robotics and STEM education. We provide hands-on learning experiences and mentorship that help students develop problem-solving skills, confidence, and leadership. By expanding access and opportunity, we empower students to explore their potential and shape their futures.
Impacts.
Global Influneces & Impact
Germany
China
India
Ghana
United States
Over 2650+ students
Over 1000+ hours committed
FIRST Community
DMV Community
Fairfax County Public Schools
Shawn Li
Co Founder & Co President
Shawn is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. He co-founded GUR to make a meaningful impact on students locally and globally, while building a team of talented and compassionate high schoolers who inspire the next generation of leaders. In his free time, Shawn enjoys playing piano and guitar, gaming, solving Rubik's Cube, and exploring new interests. You can find him at sh4wn.org.
Arnav Talreja
Co Founder & Co President
Arnav is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. Alongside Shawn, he co-founded GUR, an initiative dedicated to making robotics education accessible to everyone. In his free time, Arnav enjoys playing tennis, gaming, and hiking.
Darrell Kao
Co Vice President
Darrell is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. He joined Growing Up With Robotics (GUR), where he works to expand access to STEM education and robotics for younger students. Darrell was inspired by the learning experience he has at TJ, and hopes to bring the same learning opportunities to others. Additionally hoping he can inspire the younger generation in STEM related topics. Outside of school, Darrell enjoys reading, playing video games, hanging out with friends, and doing Chinese yo-yo.
Surya Raj
Co Vice President
Surya is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. He joined Growing Up With Robotics (GUR) to expand his love for robotics beyond the classroom and competitions, and to help make STEM education more accessible to students everywhere. Inspired by the hands on engineering culture at TJ, Surya hopes to use his skills to mentor younger students and spark their curiosity in robotics and technology. Outside of school, Surya enjoys watching sports, gaming, learning about cars, and spending time with friends.
Victoria Lee
Director of Outreach
Victoria is a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. She is a member of the Outreach team of GUR wishing to impact students and to insure them in STEM. Outside of school, Victoria enjoys baking and instructing in Taekwondo.
Bridget Xiao
Director of Curriculum
Bridget is a sophomore at TJHSST in Northern Virginia. She joined GUR to provide students with a community and resource to learn engineering/ robotics. In her free time, Bridget likes to play volleyball, hang out with friends, and watch movies on Netflix. You can follow her on Instagram at bxq.xiao
Jae Kim
Director of Finance
Jae is a sophomore at Centreville High School. Jae enjoys spending time teaching children about robotics. He enjoys spending time with friends and playing games. He is also the best MC in the world.
Leah D'Cruz
Outreach
Leah is a freshman at TJHSST. She joined GUR to spread STEM education and passion for students. In her spare time, Leah enjoys playing instruments and reading.
Sarwani Dahal
Curriculum
My name is Sarwani and i enjoy doing robotics and stem related research. i also like designing and developing websites/ products! 💗 i have loved robotics and coding ever since i was a little girl. my favorite color is pink and i love puppies 😅🫰🏻
Ananya Sudharshan
Curriculum
Ananya Sudharshan is a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. She joined Gur to help make a meaningful impact on students both locally and globally while collaborating with a team of motivated and compassionate high schoolers. At TJ, Ananya enjoys exploring her interests in STEM and problem-solving. In her free time, she enjoys coding, debating, and spending time with friends while always looking for new things to learn.
Shawn Li
Co Founder & Co President
Shawn is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. He co-founded GUR to make a meaningful impact on students locally and globally, while building a team of talented and compassionate high schoolers who inspire the next generation of leaders. In his free time, Shawn enjoys playing piano and guitar, gaming, solving Rubik's Cube, and exploring new interests. You can find him at sh4wn.org.
Arnav Talreja
Co Founder & Co President
Arnav is a junior at TJHSST. He co-founded GUR to make a real impact in the robotics community, both globally and close to home, by helping more people learn technical skills, build with confidence, and compete in robotics competitions. Most importantly, he cares about making robotics something people genuinely enjoy being a part of. In his free time, Arnav likes playing tennis, gaming, and hanging out with friends.
Darrell Kao
Co Vice President
Darrell is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. He joined Growing Up With Robotics (GUR), where he works to expand access to STEM education and robotics for younger students. Darrell was inspired by the learning experience he has at TJ, and hopes to bring the same learning opportunities to others. Additionally hoping he can inspire the younger generation in STEM related topics. Outside of school, Darrell enjoys reading, playing video games, hanging out with friends, and doing Chinese yo-yo.
Surya Raj
Co Vice President
Surya is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. He joined Growing Up With Robotics (GUR) to expand his love for robotics beyond the classroom and competitions, and to help make STEM education more accessible to students everywhere. Inspired by the hands on engineering culture at TJ, Surya hopes to use his skills to mentor younger students and spark their curiosity in robotics and technology. Outside of school, Surya enjoys watching sports, gaming, learning about cars, and spending time with friends.
Victoria Lee
Director of Outreach
Victoria is a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. She is a member of the Outreach team of GUR wishing to impact students and to insure them in STEM. Outside of school, Victoria enjoys baking and instructing in Taekwondo.
Jae Kim
Director of Finance
Jae is a sophomore at Centreville High School. Jae enjoys spending time teaching children about robotics. He enjoys spending time with friends and playing games. He is also the best MC in the world.
Leah D'Cruz
Outreach
Leah is a freshman at TJHSST. She joined GUR to spread STEM education and passion for students. In her spare time, Leah enjoys playing instruments and reading.
Bridget Xiao
Director of Curriculum
Bridget is a sophomore at TJHSST in Northern Virginia. She joined GUR to provide students with a community and resource to learn engineering/ robotics. In her free time, Bridget likes to play volleyball, hang out with friends, and watch movies on Netflix. You can follow her on Instagram at bxq.xiao
Sarwani Dahal
Curriculum
My name is Sarwani and i enjoy doing robotics and stem related research. i also like designing and developing websites/ products! 💗 i have loved robotics and coding ever since i was a little girl. my favorite color is pink and i love puppies 😅🫰🏻
Ananya Sudharshan
Curriculum
Ananya Sudharshan is a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Northern Virginia. She joined Gur to help make a meaningful impact on students both locally and globally while collaborating with a team of motivated and compassionate high schoolers. At TJ, Ananya enjoys exploring her interests in STEM and problem-solving. In her free time, she enjoys coding, debating, and spending time with friends while always looking for new things to learn.
Mission.
Our mission is to inspire the next generation of innovators through robotics and STEM education. We provide hands-on learning experiences and mentorship that help students develop problem-solving skills, confidence, and leadership. By expanding access and opportunity, we empower students to explore their potential and shape their futures.
Impacts.
Global Influneces & Impact
Germany
China
India
Ghana
United States
Over 2650+ students
Over 1000+ hours committed
FIRST Community
DMV Community
Fairfax County Public Schools
