The first thing you notice is that notorious smile; next is the wrench in her hand. From running around a robotics arena directing her team while they build robots to having her teammates back on the court. Her name is Jaqueline Arellano, but her friends know her as Jackie. Jackie has been in the robotics program for three years but got the chance to be captain for her senior year in the program.

“I did it based on her experience being in the program and her willingness to try new things,” Robotics Teacher Rashad Mayes said. “Her experience being in the TSA group and hands-on with the robots almost made it an easy choice to make her captain.”

But the road wasn’t always clear for this young engineer. Starting off with a punch her first year, Jackie and her team headed to state. They came up a little short but this was a huge development year for her. Taking the fall allowed Jackie to bounce back even harder this year.

“She’s hard working, she’s motivated, and she’s dedicated,” Mayes said. “She’s the type of person that if you give her the chance she’s first woman in, last woman out.”

The grind paid off for her. All the blood, sweat, and tears was worth every second to Jackie because it was doing what she loved and getting to continue doing it.

“I got accepted into Rice’s mechanical program,” Arellano said. “I’m actually waiting on my MIT scholarship. Hopefully I get it.”

Now getting to move forward in the field she has grown in and loved is something Jackie gets to do.