A Hopkins Student Finds His Passion

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When Jacob Ceisler arrived at Hopkins School in seventh grade, robotics was simply one of the activities on a list. He signed up with a few friends, not knowing that the decision would set him on a path he would follow for years.

“It was a lot of fun, and I just fell in love with it,” Jacob recalled.

Over the next six years, Jacob explored robotics through classes, competitions, and Hopkins’ FIRST Tech Challenge teams. What began as a new activity grew into a passion as he developed his engineering skills, learned to collaborate with classmates, and eventually became a team captain.

“Everybody brings their own skill sets,” he said of the robotics teams at Hopkins. “It’s definitely not a one-person job.”

For robotics instructor Lynn Connolly, helping students discover their interests is an important part of the learning experience. At Hopkins, students have opportunities to try something new, build on their skills, and take on greater challenges as they grow. “Our aim is to go beyond traditional education, offering students dynamic spaces to explore and express their interests,” Connolly said.

For Jacob, that growth extended beyond engineering. As a team captain, he learned to lead, collaborate, and mentor younger students who were just beginning their own robotics journeys. The experience also helped shape his academic interests. Robotics, he said, “really sparked my interest” in engineering.

After graduating from Hopkins in 2025, Jacob continued that journey at Purdue University, where he is an Honors Mechanical Engineering student. What began as a seventh grader trying something new had grown into an academic passion that would help shape his future.

Ranked the #2 Best College Prep High School in Connecticut for 2027, Hopkins School is a premier independent, gender-inclusive day school for students in grades 7-12, located in New Haven, CT.

Read more about how Hopkins gives students opportunities to explore new interests, develop their talents, and discover where those interests might lead.