April 6, 2023 - Ethan Chapie, senior South Tech student, shared his love of robotics with his peers at Ladue Middle School during a Career Connect presentation led by Admissions Representative Diana Johnson. After Johnson educated the 8th graders about over 25 programs offered at North and South Tech, Chapie spoke about his experience in the Electronics and Robotics Engineering program. 

“I had Ethan come along because he has been very successful in that program,” said Johnson. “He played a major part in creating a fully functioning robot with his classmates and I also wanted our visit to be interactive.”

During the presentation, students had the opportunity to control an autonomous robot that Chapie and his classmates built from scratch. Chapie is the team captain of South Tech’s First Tech Challenge (FTC) team and their robot won an autonomous award at the regional competition. 

“If I would have learned about the robotics program when I was in 8th grade, I would have jumped on the opportunity right away, which is why I’m here,” said Chapie. “I want to inspire more people to get involved.”

Chapie became interested in robotics after he was gifted an electronic snap circuit set as a young child and he has been hooked on the subject ever since. Not only has it allowed him to improve his mechanical, electrical, and programming skills, but it also taught him teamwork. 

“You don’t need to know all the facets of robotics to be able to join. That is where trusting your team comes in,” said Chapie. “All of our members have different strengths and trust each other to take initiative in areas where someone might fall short. It’s all about team building.”

In the fall, Chapie will attend Missouri S&T and major in mechanical engineering. His goal is to build robots that increase the quality of life or solve common day issues that are too hazardous for humans. 

Visit South Tech’s Electronics and Robotics program webpage to learn more.