About Our Team

Golden Gate Robotics is a high school robotics team from St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco that competes in the FIRST Robotics Competition. The team started in 2015 and now includes over 30 students from grades 9-12. Team members learn not only STEM skills such as programming, designing, and manufacturing but also business skills such as marketing, management, and finance.

Mentors

Grace is a Mechanical Engineer and has been involved in FIRST since 2008, having previously been a student and mentor on Team 2481. Grace's involvement with Golden Gate Robotics is primarily lead mentor, mechanical design, manufacturing, strategy, and coaching. Her lifelong dream is to drive the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile.

Jack is a Software Engineer and was initiated into FIRST during 2014's Aerial Assault. He is originally from Massachusetts (thus genetically roots for all "baas stn" teams, naturally), has lived in Indiana (Purdue graduate and avid fan - Go Boilermakers!) and North Carolina. Likes Disney, good commit messages, and pineapple on pizza.

Marisa, a Controls Engineer, began her journey with FIRST in 2016, having previously been a student on Team 2481. She is originally from Illinois and a recent graduate of MIT (EECS). Marisa joined the team for the 2023-2024 Crescendo Season and immediately helped streamline our Scouting program as well as assisting with the programming component of Golden Gate Robotics.

Mr. Cafasso teaches Spanish at San Francisco's St. Ignatius College Prep (since the 2002-2003 academic year), and has been in "the"" high school classroom since 1995. As an avid motorcyclist (known to break down sometimes!), Mr. Cafasso was drawn to the FIRST competition and became a founding faculty member of Team 5924. He has been involved with FIRST since the 2016 Stronghold.

Mr. Murphy is a native San Franciscan who has been teaching math for 26 years. Starting as a mentor with Team 5924 during FIRST Steamworks, it was not enough! As a past Volunteer Coordinator for the San Francisco Regional, he continues to offer his services to the SFR every year since on the Planning Committee. Normally, he likes to learn coding in his spare time (when his kids allow him to).