Blue Ridge Boost Instructors

Ransford is originally from Koforidua, Ghana and moved to Charlottesville, Virginia with his parents as an infant. Currently, Ransford works toward an Associate’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. Ransford has experience in teaching teens and kids how to code. Through NSBE(Nation Society of Black Engineers) and Mrs. Early from Albemarle High School Ranford taught middle schoolers to code a Sphero bots. During that time I helped the students to understand critical thinking and problem-solving skills to be able to guide the Sphero out of not just one maze but an array of mazes with the same code. At Blue Ridge Boost, Ransford teaches coding and robotics classes for elementary and middle school students both in classes and camp. Ransford also serves as coordinator for camps.

Saumya is a 4th year at the University of Virginia working towards a degree in Global Public Health and a minor in Computer Science. As a member of the community, Saumya has valued tutoring and working with students as a way to help bring the community forward by being involved in it. Saumya was on a FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics team for 3 years and has continued her appreciation for Computer Science during my time at UVA. At Blue Ridge Boost, Saumya coaches the FLL Challenge Team and teaches the Vex IQ robotics classes.

Christina is from Northern Virginia and graduated from JMU with my Master’s in Teaching. Christina taught 3rd grade for the past 5 years and is joining Walker Upper Elementary as a fifth grade teacher. At Blue Ridge Boost, Christina teaches coding, math, and robotics to elementary school students.

Scarlett lived in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and France, and graduated in 2024 from Albemarle High School, the Math, Engineering, and Science Academy. Scarlett is currently a student at the University of Virginia. Scarlett plans to study math and computer science, environmental science, political science, and French. Scartlet runs Mathemagicians, a math club at the Northside Library for teens interested in STEM. Scarlett also completed an internship at a pharmacy in Arzens, France working with a shelf-stocking robot. Whether tutoring peers and neighbors in math or tinkering with 3D printers and welding equipment, Scarlett loves sharing her interest in technology and science with others!

Carter was born in Charlottesville and lived here his entire life. Carter is a junior at Albemarle High School and attends Center 1 for game design. Center 1 is a small school where career-specific courses are taught. At Albemarle, Carter plays tenor saxophone in the marching band, jazz band, and sax choir. Carter is also a programmer at Cavelier Robotics and am in the Albemarle Key Club. Some of Carter’s greatest areas of interest are programming, game development, machine learning, and evolutionary algorithms. Carter also really enjoy math and how it is applied to describe various systems in nature. Carter also loves sharing my passion for STEM through various events such as Girls Geek Day, STEM Night, and now, Blue Ridge Boost!