Chantelle Taylor

Chantelle Taylor chose to attend Arizona State University to give her the foundation to help provide for her family in the future. Her early involvement in robotics helped guide her to the right degree.

“I selected mechanical engineering systems as my major because I loved doing  VEX Robotics competitions in high school,” Taylor says. “I also enjoy math and the challenge of thinking deeply.”

Through engineering, Taylor says that she can see the practical applications of the principles she learns in class.

Taylor’s introduction to robotics at an early age inspired her to help youngsters grow their interests in STEM. Outside of the classroom, she coaches middle school robotics teams that include students from various schools in her hometown of Gilbert, Arizona. Taylor meets with the kids at least once a week to help them learn to design, build and program robots to compete in different challenges.

“Earlier this year, my teams qualified for the world championship, so I was able to go with them and watch them place fourth in their division,” she says. “I have two teams this year, and they’ve both already qualified for the state championship in March.” 

One project that stood out for Taylor in her time at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering was designing a single-stage, solid propellant-powered sounding rocket system that accurately delivers a payload to a target.

“It was a lot of work, but it was fulfilling when the theoretical calculations and actual results turned out very similar,” Taylor says.

After graduation, Taylor with her husband will move to Glendale, Arizona, where she plans to work part-time as a tutor. For her longer-term career goals, Taylor hopes to continue working with kids.

“I would most like to be a part of developing engineering products for children so that I can combine my passion for engineering with my desire to help kids,” she says.

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ Fall 2022 class here.