Portfolio

Jason
Bottino

Currently building as a Roboticist

"Ships in harbor are safe, but that's
not what ships are built for."
    — John A. Shedd

Robotics

CAD to competition floor.

Explore robotics → View the CAD ↗ Watch on YouTube ↗

4+

Years building in FTC

12+

Competitions & events

150+

Community service hours

6

Awards & recognitions

Explore

Everything else, by area.

01 Robotics Robotics is my life — though not in the way that might first come to mind. I don’t merely compete, though when I do, I compete well; I don’t merely build robots, though I’ve built real depth in CAD, programming, and everything technical along the way. What matters more is using robotics as a vehicle for something bigger than itself: the foundational skills that will serve me wherever I go next. I’ve raised thousands of dollars for a team I once had no idea how to fund, built relationships with company founders and CEOs, and organized outreach events designed to outlast my own time on the team. When I say I do robotics, I want people to hear past the competition results — toward everything it actually teaches that’s hard to learn anywhere else. 02 Service & Advocacy I hold myself to a high standard and work relentlessly to leave every project and community better than I found it. But individual achievement has a ceiling: my greatest impact comes not only from what I accomplish myself, but from giving other people the access, confidence, and opportunities to create change of their own. Service, to me, is how personal effort becomes multiplied progress. 03 Academics I see academics as a way to develop durable, transferable skills for understanding the world and improving it. I am most engaged when rigorous learning leads to a meaningful goal—whether applying engineering and chemistry in robotics, using historical analysis in advocacy, or turning scientific ideas into hands-on projects. I explore broadly, specialize where curiosity takes hold, and value the dedication required to transform knowledge into lasting understanding. 04 Projects A growing archive of coding projects, AI and automation work, and business ventures I am building outside of robotics — write-ups in progress. 05 Pursuits My pursuits outside of my main activities are deliberately open-ended, namely using the concepts of creativity and discipline to support my mental and physical wellbeing. Photography and bonsai offer room to experiment and think long term, supporting the former, while track and fitness turn commitment into real progress, bolstering the latter. Together, alongside activities like reading and cooking, they give me space to think introspectively, apply skills across unfamiliar contexts, and remember that meaningful achievement is driven by sustained effort. 06 About Me I am driven by ambition, independent learning, and the belief that sustained effort and opportunity are worth passing along.