Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Gold medalist: Andy Swing

Los Gatos High student wins electronics award

By Michelle Alaimo

Los Gatos High School has a gold medalist in its ranks. Andy Swing, a freshman, placed first in the state Vocational and Industrial Clubs of America (VICA) competition held in Fresno in April.

Swing, 15, won the gold medal in the applied electronics category, even though his school does not offer any electronics classes. "It's really quite a feat being a freshman and having no help from school," Rocky Maramonte, Swing's woodshop teacher, said.

Swing has never had a class in electronics. Instead, he said, he learned everything he knows from books and from his father, who is an electronics engineer.

During the three-hour contest, Swing had to take a written exam on basic electronics knowledge, solder an electronic circuit onto a board in half an hour, label different electronic components and then build a circuit and test certain components with an analog meter.

Swing competed against 15 other high school students from around the state.

Maramonte had nothing but praise for Swing. "He is an amazing electronics kid," he said.

Swing said he's been tinkering around in electronics all of his life. "I have an electronic workbench set up in my bedroom. Everything you plug in in my room is controlled by a central control station." He said his friends are amazed at what he has done and love to come over and try out the control station.

Swing is the first Los Gatos High School student to ever win an individual event in the state VICA competition, Maramonte said. He advanced to the state competition after winning a gold at the regionals in Salinas in February.

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