Like Batman, only seen in the afterhours, David Visperas roams the 6000 hall keeping the members of the robotics team safe from cuts and overspending on supplies. Walking into the leadership meeting, he brings inspiration and life into the officers.
“I think it’s funny every time David has to knock on the door cause he’s coming from Bellevue college we’re all like ‘DAVID!!!’ and then it’s like ok now everything is fine, cause David’s here,” junior Scarlett Saam said.
Viperas joined in 2021, officially competing in the 2022 competition season. As time passed, Visperas rapidly gained an unwritten role on the team, leading him to be picked for safety lead position for the 2023 season, advancing to Safety Captain in 2024. In 2024 he also appointed two safety leads to mentor, Jewel Malit (9) and Connor Poehlman-Kaufman (9), choosing younger members to gradually get newer members involved and comfortable with leadership positions on the team, sustaining the importance of team safety even after he graduates.
Visperas is always there to support his teammates not only in the shop but also at competition, to cheer on the drive team no matter what rank, advocating healthy habits in a stressful environment that is a robotics competition, making sure everyone is drinking enough water.
“During the competition he’s usually the one in the stands helping out people and making sure everyone’s spirited and cheering,” junior Akash Krishna said. “He’s also a big advocate of drinking enough water and you can tell by the giant water bottle he carries everywhere.”
His water bottle is a symbol of his dedication to the team’s wellbeing, serving as a reminder that personal health comes before robotics. He also promotes the importance of mental health and taking breaks even when there are tight deadlines and long weekends, keeping the environment fun for the students.
“I guess during the pandemic I wanted to make sure I was drinking enough fluids to ensure I didn’t get dehydrated, since I was working all the time,” Visperas said. “So I just had water with me all the time. It was nice and I wanted to make sure everyone else was feeling as good as I was.”
As his role as treasurer, Visperas takes charge of the robotics funds, organizing students making sure they reach their comp requirements during the build season. He’s also implemented new systems, a purchase order guide for the new officers, personally checking in with each student on comp requirements, letting them know of the opportunities they had to fulfill them.
Visperas’ involvement has significantly impacted the team with his commitment to accumulating sponsorships, partnering with businesses, and raising around $50,000 through grants and checks. With the money Visperas has raised for the team, each subteam is able to fund themselves with the materials and tools needed to be productive and efficient.
Not only has robotics changed because of Visperas improvements, he has also changed because of robotics, gaining social skills and connections, Visperas is confident that he has made an impact and is forging a future of a better robotics team.
“What it means for me to be treasurer is that I am a leader, someone new members can look up to. I want to be a good example and represent the team. It means I can inspire and encourage a better team culture for the future,” Visperas said.
