Mentors

“Mentors and Coaches are individuals from all backgrounds and disciplines who work with students to share their knowledge and
guide them through the season. Many Mentors contribute on a weekly basis during competition season, or support the team
with subject matter expertise on an as needed basis. Teams may have additional or more specialized roles or a combination of
roles as needed. In addition, Mentors help to foster the idea of Gracious Professionalism® and have the students do as much of
the work as possible.”

– Mentor and Coach Roles, FIRSTInspires.org

Aaron Plata-Ruiz

Lead Mentor

Aaron Plata-Ruiz earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, specializing in photonics and solid-state devices. He has worked for over two decades at Abbott (formerly St. Jude Medical) in Sylmar, where he works in hardware R&D for implantable technologies including pacemakers (traditional and leadless), Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs), Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) devices, and Insertable Cardiac Monitors (ICMs). Outside of work, he enjoys mentoring in robotics, hiking and camping with his family, and photography. He has mentored Project 691 since 2023, where he supports students in electrical systems, battery testing, and CAN-bus wiring, and is excited to help them grow as engineers and teammates.

Nilesh Hingarh

Lead Mentor

Nilesh Hingarh, MD, MBA is a physician and owner of a private medical practice for more than 15 years and specializes in Infectious Disease and Internal Medicine. He completed his B.S. in biochemistry at UCLA and his Medical Degree at Chicago Medical School. His postgraduate training was completed at the Olive View UCLA Program and the UCLA Affiliated Program in Infectious Disease. He also completed his Masters in Business Administration at Pepperdine University. In addition to his medical practice, he has had experience in leadership positions at different healthcare related environments and working in multidisciplinary teams. He is also the proud father of 3 amazing children- ages 20, 16 and 9. He hopes to share his experience and knowledge about operations, culture development and leadership with the students of Team 691. This is his third year with Team 691 and will be one of Lead Mentors.

Kelly Clarke

Mentor

Kelly Clarke earned a B.A. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley and an MBA from UCLA. She has worked over two decades at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). At JPL she contributed to ground software and led teams on missions including the Cassini mission to Saturn, the Mars rovers Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity, and the Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa. Outside of work, she enjoys backpacking and traveling. She joined Project 691 as a mentor in 2024 and is excited to help students explore robotics, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Rajesh Govindarajan

Mentor

Rajesh Govindarajan earned his MSC(Masters in Computer Science) from Bharathidasan University, India. He has 3 decades of work experience spanning all of SDLC, and he is currently employed with Bank of America as VP of the Performance and Capacity Management team. He has been with Project 691 Robotics for 5 years as a volunteer and mentor.

Aaron Dolgin

Mentor

Aaron Dolgin is a mentor at 691 Robotics.

Mr. T

Teacher/Advisor

My name is Miguel Tenorio, and I am currently in my 12th year of teaching and my 10th year at West Ranch. I graduated from California Lutheran University, and I teach Geometry and Pre-Calculus. Outside of teaching, I enjoy the beach, sports, video games, line dancing, music, and exploring great food. I’m excited to support the Robotics Club and see all the creativity and teamwork that students bring to each project!

Charles Leatherberry

Mentor

Charles Leatherberry is a mentor at 691 Robotics.

Ilya Poberezhskiy

Mentor

Ilya Poberezhskiy is a mentor at 691 Robotics.

Anshuma Hingarh

Mentor

Anshuma Hingarh is the Chief Administrative Officer for a private medical practice. She has been in this role for more than 15 years. She has extensive knowledge on aspects of the operations of a medical practice, human resources, budgeting, and strategic planning, She has a Bachelor’s degree in Homeopathic Sciences from University of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. She has experience as the Treasurer for Oak Hills Elementary PTA. She is a proud mother of 3 amazing children- ages 10, 16 and 9. Her hobbies include Indian classical and folk dancing, traveling and hiking. This is her second year as a mentor for Team 691.