Team 2910 Leadership comprises our coaches, student officers, and mentors. We are grateful for all the adults and students who give so much of themselves to improve the team experience for all members.
Coaches
Head Coach / Advisor
Kiley Branson was unwittingly nominated by several team students as a candidate for assistant coach to cover for Kyle Pihl on family leave. While initially unsure of exactly what she’d gotten herself into, Kiley quickly fell in love with FIRST, FRC, and our Team 2910 students, who continually amaze and inspire her — her “absolute favorite people”. Her commitment to the team and FIRST values is more than skin deep — she got a tattoo of our robot at the end of that year! With Kyle Pihl stepping down after the 2024 season, Kiley took up the head coach reins and began to prepare to herd cats for the 2025 REEFSCAPE year.
Kiley intersperses her coaching duties with an active life of camping, art, music, and maintenance on a collection of vintage vehicles, including a VW Westfalia christened “Buttercup.”
Education: BA, Spanish, Secondary Education, Criminal Justice
Washington State University
Employer: Teacher, Everett Public Schools
Mentor specialty: Cat herding & paperwork shuffling
Joined 2910: 2022 Season
Favorite Snack: Any sour candy; backed by healthier dried fruit and nuts
Assistant Coach
A keen competitor in several sports and robotics, Athina is an alumna mentor of Team 2910, having spent two years on the team herself before returning to mentor in 2017-18. Under Athina’s watchful eye, our robot wiring is always shipshape and Bristol fashion. With a recent motorcycle endorsement, Athina looks forward to exploring the backroads of Washington on two wheels, mastering the swerves and leaning into the curves. When not in the shop, Athina dotes on her rescue dog, Rocco, and tries her best to avoid all creatures avian.
Education: BS, Electrical Engineering
University of Washington
Employer: Electrical Engineer, Electroimpact
Mentor specialty: Electrical / Wiring
FRC Student: 2 years
Joined 2910 at Mentor: 2018 season
Favorite Snack: “Baby” Goldfish (those are a thing?!?)
Assistant Coach
Steve joined Team 2910’s mentor crew for the 2023 competition season. As both an alumnus and mentor of FRC Team 190, Steve brings over 15 years of FRC experience to Jack in the Bot in CAD, strategy, and machining. When not collaborating to solve challenging robotics problems, you may catch Steve applying his strategic vision to Ultimate or during his on-air match breakdowns at the RSN desk. Team lore has it that Steve wears barefoot toe shoes under his boots while at work.
Education: Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science at WPI
Employer: Lead CNC Operator, Swerve Drive Specialties
Mentor specialty: CAD, Strategy, Machining
FRC Student: 2 years
First FRC Mentor Season: 2008
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2023 season
Favorite Movie: Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Assistant Coach
John, a long-time mentor for FRC Team 1619, traded in his paddle for a jester’s hat and joined the Team 2910 mentor crew in 2023-24. A whiz at organization, John helped reconfigure our shop in the off-season and is now skillfully mentoring fab students in a much more tidy and organized space. Outside of robotics, John is something of a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, but maybe there is a key somewhere — perhaps in that bag of frozen pancakes?!?
Education: BS, Mechanical Engineering
Oklahoma State University
Employer: Director of Operations, Swerve Drive Specialties
Mentor specialty: Design, Fabrication
First FRC Mentor Season: 2005
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2024 season
Favorite Snack: Pita Chips
Assistant Coach, Drive Team Coach
Patrick’s experience with FIRST began as a student on Team 2910, where coincidentally he also met his future wife. After earning his degree, Patrick returned as a mentor for the 2017 season. Patrick’s practical expertise in CAD, fabrication, electrical and system architecture are invaluable to helping students build their technical skills and confidence. In 2019, Patrick started Swerve Drive Specialties to fabricate swerve drive module kits specifically for FRC use. At the World Championship in Houston in April 2022, 20 of the 24 robots in the Einstein Finals Round Robin employed modules from Swerve Drive Specialties. If Patrick isn’t in a Running Start class, at SDS, or in the 2910 shop, he may be skipping stones on a local pond or working on one of his JDM car projects.
Education: BS, Mechanical Engineering
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Employer: Owner, Swerve Drive Specialties
Mentor specialty: Robot design/CAD
FRC Student: 2 years
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2017 season
Favorite Movie: The Parent Trap
2024-2025 Student Leaders
Team Administrator
Engineering Officer
Fabrication Officer
Logistics Officer
Public Relations Officer
Media & Marketing Officer
Mentors
Including our coaches, FRC Team 2910 mentors collectively bring over 220 years of FIRST robotics experience to our team. Being an FRC mentor is fun, exciting, and sometimes a little crazy. Your passion for your work is a valuable asset for our team. Please contact our Head Coach, Kylie Branson, to learn more.
Royce initially got involved with FIRST as a 3-year member of Team 2910, returning as a programming mentor in 2016. A very dedicated FRC event volunteer as well, his ID badge is stacked with colorful event ribbons by the end of each season. No matter the weather, Royce arrives at team meetings in shorts, ready to show our Programming 1 students the ropes using a tiny army of Romi robots. If you find yourself spending downtime with Royce, you may end up playing one of the many cooperative card or board games he travels with.
Education: BS, Computer Science and Software Engineering
University of Washington
Employer: Software Engineer, Microsoft
Mentor specialty: Programming
FRC Student: 3 years
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2016 season
Favorite drink at Comps: Ice cold water
Fueled by black coffee and with career experience in a ton of different fields, Devang’s true passion, software engineering, led him to join the Team 2910 mentors in the same year his student was accepted to the team. Devang is calm and helpful as he teaches our programming 1 sub-team the fundamentals and prepares them for robot coding. This jack of all trades will surely continue to be a fantastic asset.
Education: Master, Computer Science
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Employer: Sr. Software Engineer, Microsoft
Mentor specialty: Programming
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2024 season
Favorite Movie: 12 Angry Men
With extensive student, mentor, and volunteer experience in FRC, FTC, and Unified Robotics, Kate is a welcome addition to Team 2910’s crew, joining us for the 2023 season as a programming mentor. Even though Kate has been with FIRST since she was a student on Team 2906, she still enjoys the opportunity to uncover new answers to problems alongside her own students. Along with her husband, Kevin, Kate recently ventured into the world of puppy parenting with their adorable Samoyed, Curie (aka “the Floof”). You can see Kate volunteering on both FRC or FTC fields as a Lead Robot Inspector, Head Referee, or other field official, easily recognized by her event-themed hair and glittering uniform shirt.
Education: BS, Computer Science
Western Governors University
Employer: Software Engineer, The Boeing Company
Mentor specialty: Programming
FRC Student: 3 years
First FRC Mentor Season: 2019
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2023 season
Favorite Movie: Legally Blonde
Kevin splits his “free” time between mentoring FRC and his work as the FTC Program Delivery Partner for FIRST Washington. Kevin’s FIRST experience began as an FTC and FRC student then mentor on Team 360 and 4911, eventually joining Team 2910 for programming. Ironically, Kevin is unsure if he is allowed to “go beyond the robots” and enjoy a hobby outside of FIRST — although his wife, Kate, and their Samoyed, Curie (aka “the Floof”) might coax him into the occasional video game night at home.
Education: Master, Computer Science
Colorado School of Mines
Employer: Software Engineer, Google
Mentor specialty: Programming
FRC/FTC Student: 6 years
First FRC Mentor Season: 2022
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2024 season
Favorite drink at Comps: Skinny Vanilla Latte with Blonde Espresso or Diet Coke
Scott got involved with the Team 2910 CAD sub-team as a mentor when his son joined the team for the 2020 season. He powered through the COVID online-only years to come out on the other side excited to return to in-person mentoring. With a 34-year career at Boeing, Scott definitely knows how to stick with something for the long term – a family trait apparently as his ancestors came to Washington State over 100 years ago.
Education: BS, Mechanical Engineering
University of Washington
Employer: Sr. Material and Process Engineer, The Boeing Company
Mentor specialty: Design, Fabrication
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2020 season
Favorite Snack: Chips and salsa
Joining the Team 2910 mentor crew in 2023-24, Brandon is no slouch when it comes to FRC experience. A 6-year alumnus of team 4188, Brandon returned to mentor them, as well as 7072 and 3998. Recently transplanted to the Seattle area, Brandon brings inspiration for the next generation of engineers and leaders through the program. Once the drizzle clears (or he invests in a full set of Gore-Tex gear), Brandon looks forward to enjoying the outdoors in the PNW. Until then, he’ll make due playing League of Legends.
Education: BS, Mechanical Engineering
Georgia Southern University
Employer: Manufacturing Engineer – Project Kuiper, Amazon
Mentor specialty: Design, Fabrication
FRC Student: 6 years
First FRC Mentor Season: 2015
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2024 season
Favorite Movie: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
“FIRST is hard” according to Dave, but that’s what he has loved about the FRC challenge since he started as a student on Team 1983. Dave eventually went on to mentor 360, as well as 190 and 4911 before springing into action with the Jack in the Bot mentor crew in 2023. Dave’s easy smile and experience are very welcome in the shop and on the field as he shares experienced insight into robot design and game strategy. Strong on the GIF game and quick with a quip, Dave is really all about a nice meme.
Education: AAS, General Engineering
Highline College
Employer: Production Engineer, Renton Coil Spring
Mentor specialty: Design, Build, Strategy
FRC Student: 3 years
First FRC Mentor Season: 2010
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2023 season
Favorite Snack: Focaccia Roasted Garlic Croutons
Another team parent recruit, Glenn burst onto the Team 2910 stage in 2022 to mentor our fabrication team. From the soccer pitch to the shop or event venue, Glenn is his own kind of star, a plug-and-play guy, from helping out with practice field elements to just being a solid all-around problem solver and stand-up dude. We don’t hold his love of the prequels against him — he’s just that good.
Education: MBA
Westminster University – Salt Lake City
Employer: CEO, Xcarab
Mentor specialty: Fabrication
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2022 season
Favorite Movie: Star Wars (all of them)
Evan is another long-time FRC participant, with 2 years of student experience before becoming a mentor for Team 190 in 2007. Evan’s experience in aerospace is evident in the work he does with our design sub-team, having joined our mentor crew in the 2023 season. You may recognize Evan from RoboSports Network (RSN) broadcasts, often alongside Steph or Steve. Mentoring is a family affair for the Morrisons with their young family often present at team events — they has no shortage of available minders from among the “obot” crowd. Steph, Evan, and Dave are like the Three FRC Musketeers having mentored 4 FRC teams together — all for one and one for all!
Education: Master, Aerospace Engineering
Purdue University
Employer: Propulsion Engineer, The Boeing Company
Mentor specialty: Design and Strategy
FRC Student: 2 years
First FRC Mentor Season: 2007
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2023 season
Favorite Drink at Comps: Red Bull
Steph began her FRC journey as a student, transitioning to mentoring in 2009 while attending WPI as a recipient of the WPI/FIRST Paul Allaire Scholarship. With her experience as an engineer and classroom teacher, Steph brings incredible perspectives to our group. FRC fans may recognize Steph from the RoboSports Network (RSN) coverage at FRC events, an organization that she and other WPI friends founded in 2014 as FRCGameSense. If she’s not at team meetings or behind the RSN desk, Steph is doing the hardest mentoring of all — parenting her and Evan’s young family.
Education: BS, Mechanical Engineering
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Employer: (previous) Computer Science & Engineering Teacher, Kings’ Schools
Mentor specialty: CAD, Fabrication, Competition preparation
FRC Student: 2 years
First FRC Mentor Season: 2009
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2023 season
Favorite Snack: Popcorn
Tyler joined the team in 2022 with a set of hands-on skills and “get it done” attitude that are always clutch. A practical problem solver, Tyler adapted a CO2 tank to supply his Soda Stream maker instead of buying those tiny, expensive capsules for carbonation.
Mentor specialty: Wherever needed
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2022 season
Our team’s founding coach, Mrs. T, did us a solid by convincing Kyle Pihl (PEEL not Phil) to join the team as an assistant coach in 2019-20. Pihl became the team’s head coach/advisor in 2021, taking the reins from Mrs. T as she retired. He stepped down from the head coaching position after the 2024 season to spend more time with his growing family, but hopes to be leadership and strategy mentor as dad duty allows.
Pihl’s secret to FRC survival is a coffee maker in his classroom and a generous monthly Starbucks budget. It also doesn’t hurt that he is a taekwondo black belt and former instructor, and has a solid understanding of teen shenanigans as an experienced teacher. When not puzzling through game strategy, Pihl spends time with his young family, walks his mid-sized, mellow (not) COVID dog, Obi, and escapes into video and board games to relax.
Education: Western Washington University
Employer: Mathematics Teacher, H.M. Jackson High School
Mentor Specialty: Strategy and math-y stuff
Joined 2910: 2020 season
Favorite Drink at Comps: Venti hazelnut latte
Andrea wishes that FIRST had been around when she was in school, but she got here as fast as she could, namely when her own student joined the team in 2017. In 2018, Andrea started mentoring the media and marketing team as part of her personal mission to help create good design wherever she can.
Education: BA, Psychology
Reed College
Employer: Self
Mentor specialty: Media & Marketing
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2019 season
Favorite Drink at Comps: Diet Coke
Inspired by the ethos of Coopertition and excitement of FRC events, Melissa joined the Team 2910 mentors in 2023-24 after four years as a parent and booster board member. She brings extensive business and travel planning experience to the team as our operations and business mentor. An avid traveler herself, Melissa has set foot on every continent on Earth — including Antarctica and the Arctic within 6 months of each other. Notoriously persistent, Melissa has been known to “camp” at car or hotel counters for hours to ensure the team gets what we need for an away event. Before starting her own boutique travel business, Melissa decorated fancy cakes as a side gig.
Education: Master, Educational Human Resource Development
Texas A&M
Employer: Owner/Advisor, Booked by Melissa Travel
Mentor specialty: Business and Operations
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2024 season
Favorite Snack: Caramel apples
Kevin began his FIRST mission as a student on Team 1040, building the foundational skills he would need to eventually mentor. He clicked with Team 2910 in 2013 on fabrication and scouting, then stacked on even more FIRST, also mentoring FRC Team 2930 and becoming the FLL head referee for Washington State. Kevin loves it when technical understanding and new skills blocks fit into place as students and mentors work together. While he often wears both green and orange at FRC events to represent 2910 and 2930, Kevin really stands out in a striped ref shirt and crazy colorful hat on the FLL floor — kind of his own mini-fig portrait.
Education: Master of Engineering, Aerospace Engineering
University of Michigan
Employer: Aerodynamic Performance Manager, The Boeing Company
Mentor specialty: Fabrication, Scouting
FRC Student: 2 years
First FRC Mentor Season: 2012
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2013 season
Favorite Snack: Anything salty
Jonathan Zimmerman came to Team 2910 to mentor our programming sub-team starting in 2023. Originally experiencing FRC through the lens of a team parent, Jonathan really appreciates how FIRST students are brought together by their shared interests and goals. If he’s not teaching our students to code, Jonathan also referees youth soccer and occasionally casts flies over local waters to antagonize the fish.
Education: Master, Software Engineering
Seattle University
Employer: Lead Engineer, Nintendo
Mentor specialty: Programming
Joined 2910 as Mentor: 2023 season
Favorite Movie: Anything he can enjoy with his family
