We are thrilled to announce our new 2024 ROAR Ambassadors: Derek Chen, Mark Menaker, Lynna Xu, and Christopher Zhang. They will work closely with our ROAR faculty and graduate students to bring the ROAR experience to their respective high schools with our technical and financial support. Each ambassador will also receive mentorship from our faculty and UC Berkeley graduate student.
Derek Chen is a sophomore at Burlingame High School. He has attended the 2023 ROAR Academy and has currently participated in the Summer 2023 ROAR Racing Competition. He is on his school’s robotics team, and in his free time, he enjoys taking walks in nature as well as swimming and playing chess.
Mark Menaker is a sophomore at University High School in Irvine, CA. He attended the ROAR Academy and successfully competed in the Simulation Racing Series in summer 2023. Mark is in the enhanced math program at his school, and is involved in math competitions, science fairs, Science Olympiad and Ocean Science Bowl. He has earned President’s Volunteer Service Awards for promoting STEM activities in his community. Mark enjoys playing the tenor saxophone in his school’s Wind Ensemble and Marching Band. He is a Formula 1 fan, who brings his passion for cars and enthusiasm for coding to the ROAR Ambassador Program.
Lynna Xu is a sophomore at Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa, California. She has participated in the 2023 ROAR Academy Summer Session and competed in the Summer 2023 Simulation Racing Series. In addition to coding, she is also interested in the VEX Robotics competition, having competed in this field for 3 years and been to the World Championships twice. In her free time, Lynna enjoys many activities such as playing piano and tennis.
Christopher Zhang is a Sophomore at The John Cooper School in The Woodlands, Texas. He participated in the 2021 Summer ROAR competition. He enjoys hanging out with friends and golfing every once in a while.