Karl is 15 years old and lives in Corrales, New Mexico with his parents and four of the most awkward and beloved dogs you will ever meet. He attends a STEM charter school a few miles from home called the ASK Academy, to which he rides the bicycle that he retrofitted with an electric motor. He has a keen interest in electrical engineering, computer programming, renewable energy and in the next, most inventive piece of technology. Karl also makes time to volunteer in his community and plans to use his innovative interests and leadership skills to affect positive social change in the world.

Complementing his general STEM studies, Karl has studied engineering, CAD and robotics in high school and over the past two years has earned a cumulative 4.4 GPA. As a freshman he was inducted into the National Honor Society and has consistently demonstrated his leadership skills through projects at school and in the community. His leadership and ingenuity have been recognized many times at school such as when he was asked to serve on the committee that was tasked to design the alternative energy system for the school’s new building. He has also been a member of the most creative and award winning VEX Robotics team at the Academy, collaborating with his team to build robots and write the code that enables them to complete complex tasks. With this team he has traveled to state and national competitions.

Karl has always been an independent and critical thinker who has the ability to think outside of the box. In almost all aspects of his life, he likes to pull apart what is known, tinker with it, and discover new or interesting ways of doing something. In addition to the construction of an electric bike, some of his more noteworthy projects have been the development of a hydroponic system to grow vegetables, experimentation with a Fresnel lens for application of heat as an alternative energy source, and the planning, research and development of a Spark GapTesla Coil. In August he exhibited his Tesla Coil at the Albuquerque Mini Maker Faire where he was able to engage with the community at all levels in a vibrant exchange of ideas. Karl is driven to have a beneficial impact on his community through volunteerism. For the past three years, he has served as a voting member of the Corrales Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, which helps to create a more outdoor and activity- friendly community. Additionally, Karl has worked as an ambassador at several TEDx youth conferences in Austin, TX performing setup and support at the event. For as long as he can remember, Karl has been interested in increasing humanity’s knowledge around and interest in sustainable energy, and believes that it will be very important to find novel solutions to help us address our looming energy crisis. Taking inspiration from people like Elon Musk, Karl plans to use his knowledge and innovative ideas to help solve problems of global significance.