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Submission Number: 453
Submission ID: 1589
Submission UUID: 99ddb61a-6bf1-4d8a-9b87-60368062655b
Submission URI:/center/mortenson/form/webform-1367
Created: Thu, 03/13/2025 - 13:13
Completed: Thu, 03/13/2025 - 13:16
Changed: Tue, 05/06/2025 - 00:31
Remote IP address: 187.35.49.84
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English
Is draft: No
Flagged: Yes
{Empty}
Ricardo
Castilho Anunciacao
He/Him
Jundiai
Sao Paulo
Brazil
13215-130
Electrical & Computer Engineering Major
Portuguese (5), English (4)
My participation in FIRST Robotics Competitions allowed me to travel to the U.S. in two opportunities—first to the Kansas City Regional in Lee's Summit, Missouri; and then to the FIRST World Championship in Houston, Texas. These experiences changed the way how I see the world, exposing me to new cultures, engineering methodologies, and global perspectives, which transformed my perspective both as an individual and as an engineer.
In Kansas City, I experienced my first cultural immersion abroad. Beyond competing, I had to navigate day-to-day life in a different country, adapting to everything from language barriers to new foods. I put my English to the test in real-world conversations and discovered that communication is more than just translation; it's also about connection and context. Also, looking at the technological public high schools and city layouts different from the Brazilian ones, I saw how education, infrastructure, and urban planning play a major role in shaping society.
At the National WWI Museum, I explored how engineering has historically been influenced by war efforts, a perspective I'm unfamiliar with given Brazil’s historically peaceful approach to military development.
Houston, however, was where I truly experienced engineering and connection on a global scale. Competing against and collaborating with teams from Israel, Turkey, Mexico, the United States, England, Australia, and Canada, I saw how engineering solutions vary based on culture, resources, and regional needs. I still remember a match in which my alliance was composed of teams from Israel and Turkey, but all of us were communicating in English, training in social skills while bringing our cultural traits.
These experiences reinforced my belief that global perspectives potentialize engineering and networks since different approaches, technologies, and educational systems drive innovation. At the Global Engineering RAP, I am excited to continue learning from a diverse community, contributing my international experiences, and collaborating to develop global solutions.
In Kansas City, I experienced my first cultural immersion abroad. Beyond competing, I had to navigate day-to-day life in a different country, adapting to everything from language barriers to new foods. I put my English to the test in real-world conversations and discovered that communication is more than just translation; it's also about connection and context. Also, looking at the technological public high schools and city layouts different from the Brazilian ones, I saw how education, infrastructure, and urban planning play a major role in shaping society.
At the National WWI Museum, I explored how engineering has historically been influenced by war efforts, a perspective I'm unfamiliar with given Brazil’s historically peaceful approach to military development.
Houston, however, was where I truly experienced engineering and connection on a global scale. Competing against and collaborating with teams from Israel, Turkey, Mexico, the United States, England, Australia, and Canada, I saw how engineering solutions vary based on culture, resources, and regional needs. I still remember a match in which my alliance was composed of teams from Israel and Turkey, but all of us were communicating in English, training in social skills while bringing our cultural traits.
These experiences reinforced my belief that global perspectives potentialize engineering and networks since different approaches, technologies, and educational systems drive innovation. At the Global Engineering RAP, I am excited to continue learning from a diverse community, contributing my international experiences, and collaborating to develop global solutions.
During the FIRST Robotics World Championship, I stood at the edge of the field, astonished—not by my robot, but by the NASA team’s robot. Its amazing automation, autonomous routines, and software felt like something from the future. "How do they do that?"
I was proud that my team had won the Brazil Regional, but seeing NASA’s robot was eye-opening. It wasn’t just better; it reflected an entirely different engineering philosophy—one built on automation and optimization. I approached one of their mentors, eager for insight. “It’s all about automation,” he said. “We integrate light mechanics with optimized programming—only possible with Java.” I nodded, pretending to understand, but the truth was, I had never used Java before. It was a global standard in robotics, yet almost nonexistent in Brazil. If we wanted to compete internationally, I needed to learn it.
For eight months, I studied FRC Java, reverse-engineering American teams’ code, and debugging late into the night. By competition season, my efforts paid off—not only did my team win the Best Programming Award, but I also founded MEGAJavaBR, the first FRC Java mentorship in Portuguese. In that season, the program supported 550+ students across 21 Brazilian states, also making connections with teams from the U.S. and Turkey, which made Java adoption in Brazilian FRC teams grow from 0% to 75%.
This experience showed me how global collaboration accelerates engineering progress. I firmly believe that exposure to cutting-edge technology abroad pushes teams and engineers worldwide to innovate, proving that engineering thrives when knowledge flows beyond borders.
That way, through the Global Engineering RAP, I look forward to contributing to this exchange, sharing insights, learning from diverse perspectives, and developing features that make a difference for those who don't have access or opportunities to grow.
I was proud that my team had won the Brazil Regional, but seeing NASA’s robot was eye-opening. It wasn’t just better; it reflected an entirely different engineering philosophy—one built on automation and optimization. I approached one of their mentors, eager for insight. “It’s all about automation,” he said. “We integrate light mechanics with optimized programming—only possible with Java.” I nodded, pretending to understand, but the truth was, I had never used Java before. It was a global standard in robotics, yet almost nonexistent in Brazil. If we wanted to compete internationally, I needed to learn it.
For eight months, I studied FRC Java, reverse-engineering American teams’ code, and debugging late into the night. By competition season, my efforts paid off—not only did my team win the Best Programming Award, but I also founded MEGAJavaBR, the first FRC Java mentorship in Portuguese. In that season, the program supported 550+ students across 21 Brazilian states, also making connections with teams from the U.S. and Turkey, which made Java adoption in Brazilian FRC teams grow from 0% to 75%.
This experience showed me how global collaboration accelerates engineering progress. I firmly believe that exposure to cutting-edge technology abroad pushes teams and engineers worldwide to innovate, proving that engineering thrives when knowledge flows beyond borders.
That way, through the Global Engineering RAP, I look forward to contributing to this exchange, sharing insights, learning from diverse perspectives, and developing features that make a difference for those who don't have access or opportunities to grow.
Stepping into the Global Engineering RAP, I see a community where technical innovation meets global impact—exactly the same environment where I thrive. My journey in engineering has been built through bridging disciplines and cultures, combining robotics with sustainability.
My first introduction to interdisciplinary problem-solving came when I noticed excessive 3D printer waste in my technical course. Aiming to solve the problem, I designed a filament extrusion machine that reduced filament costs by 25%. This experience taught me that engineering solutions require more than just technical expertise—they demand adaptability, entrepreneurship, and an understanding of real-world constraints.
Also, Reciclai—a startup I co-founded where I collaborated with businesses and communities to incentivize sustainable practices— made me understand how sustainability can integrate engineering in social contexts.
Beyond my projects, I’ve found purpose in mentorship. Working with level three autistic children, I developed adaptive technologies to enhance their learning experiences. This spirit of collaboration and inclusivity is what excites me most about the Global Engineering RAP.
I envision contributing by mentoring peers in coding, engineering design, or adaptive technology development, putting into practice the Cross-cultural Humility classes' concepts, and giving opportunities for those who don't have access through the Practicum Placements in Denver, the U.S., Latino America, and beyond.
Moreover, the RAP’s curriculum, from the Introduction to Global Sustainability course to the Development Economics for Engineers, will provide me with the necessary tools to create global solutions in robotics and sustainability that assist underprivileged communities.
At Global Engineering RAP, I am eager to immerse myself in its interdisciplinary, global environment and use my experiences to contribute to engineering solutions that drive meaningful change.
My first introduction to interdisciplinary problem-solving came when I noticed excessive 3D printer waste in my technical course. Aiming to solve the problem, I designed a filament extrusion machine that reduced filament costs by 25%. This experience taught me that engineering solutions require more than just technical expertise—they demand adaptability, entrepreneurship, and an understanding of real-world constraints.
Also, Reciclai—a startup I co-founded where I collaborated with businesses and communities to incentivize sustainable practices— made me understand how sustainability can integrate engineering in social contexts.
Beyond my projects, I’ve found purpose in mentorship. Working with level three autistic children, I developed adaptive technologies to enhance their learning experiences. This spirit of collaboration and inclusivity is what excites me most about the Global Engineering RAP.
I envision contributing by mentoring peers in coding, engineering design, or adaptive technology development, putting into practice the Cross-cultural Humility classes' concepts, and giving opportunities for those who don't have access through the Practicum Placements in Denver, the U.S., Latino America, and beyond.
Moreover, the RAP’s curriculum, from the Introduction to Global Sustainability course to the Development Economics for Engineers, will provide me with the necessary tools to create global solutions in robotics and sustainability that assist underprivileged communities.
At Global Engineering RAP, I am eager to immerse myself in its interdisciplinary, global environment and use my experiences to contribute to engineering solutions that drive meaningful change.
My Resume - 2025.pdf(71.9 KB)