Girls,Why did you join FIRST???

[tiffany34990]

So since there is a discussion talking about how to reach out to girls and get their participation. I would like to throw out to the girls why did we join FIRST?? perhaps this can help with reaching out to other girls if we know why others females have joined... so start telling your story!! :D and why have you stayed??? what is the great things about FIRST do you see??? What have you gotten out of it??

so here's mine:

I've always loved building thing with legos growing up with my older brother. i give him a lot of credit for my participation in FIRST. if he didn't find out about S.P.A.M. as a freshman i wouldn't have known about it as a 7th grader. I went to many meeting as a middle schooler. I did a few things for the team's robot. S.P.A.M. was very small at the time and those students on the team didn't mind teaching me things. finally i entered high school and officially joined the team and well FIRST has changed my life for the better. i increased my interest in fabrication of parts and designing and soon began to actually make them on the mill and lathe. i kept coming back because of the knowledge i was gaining and of course the fun. the mentors I've known now for six years have made a positive impact always encouraging me as a female. my first competition changed my life. it was truly amazing to see it. and now I'm forever hooked and want to mentor when i go off to college. in addition, working with the RCU, I've found another area i want to have participation in. i really do want to see more girls in FIRST and working with the RCU and GirlsFIRST. I've been apart of the FIRST community for 6 years now and it's changed and will continue to change for the better. working also with FLL has made my life even better. i love to see those little kids faces light up when something we can do really fast work. FIRST is just really great and I'm truly glad I've had the opportunity to join.


I'm sorry if there is a similar thread.i search but didn't find what i wanted. i would like really like new thoughts and stories..the RCU would really appreciate feedback.

PM please if you want to get more information about the RCU and be added to the mailing list.

['lil Gach]

I joined FIRST because of my brother. When I was in eight grade I went to the competition at Disney and had a blast. I loved seeing how the robots worked and how the game was played. I have gone to my brothers competitions before that but I never knew it could be so much fun. So after going to my brothers competitions I decided that I was going to go ahead and give the program a try. Ever since the FIRST has been a big part of my life. I think that any person that comes and joins FIRST would have an experience that not a lot of people can get.

Tiffany

[Katie Reynolds]

My best friend told me she'd break my (other) arm, if I didn't join the team. I never found out how serious she was, 'cause I went to the next meeting after that. :p

Seriously, though, her big sister (who was on the team) used to babysit for my family... and I remember when I was in 5th grade, she came over to babysit and was so excited because they "named the robot TOBOR! Which is 'robot' spelled backwards!" I was intrigued then, and started going to meetings the summer before my freshman year. I was hooked from the beginning. :)

[A. Leese]

I joined FIRST originally because my father was the team's faculty advisor. I would go with him to meetings and events because it meant more time spent with my Dad. That and, I'll admit, I had a bit of a crush on the team's human player (despite the fact he was a good five years older..haha).

Once I entered high school, I really didn't want to stay active in FIRST. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it, I just didn't think I would have the time (I was also on quiz bowl and in the band). One of my best friends encouraged me to stay active and I listened. Bryce, thank you for that (one again)!

FIRST really changed thigns for me. I joined SPAM at the very beginning, so I saw the team grow from about ten students to the huge size it's now achieved. All of the engineers who have come and gone (and people like Dillard and Warren who are too insane to leave) taught me so much. I saw first-hand how much fun engineering and math can be. I knew I loved science (my dad's a bio/chem teacher), but had no clue that I could be good at math and technology! And that anyone would ever let a girl wire a robot!!

I worked on all sorts of PR sort of things my Fresh/Soph year of high school than transitioned more into the technical side the next two years.

These last two years I didn't work with a team (no teams within two hours that would allow college students to help out) but helped out at the LA and Finger Lakes Regionals and the Championship. Next year I'm working to start a team at my new school (Cal Poly Pomona) which is going to bring up all sort of challenges.

I'm very lucky to come from a rather organized team. I know I'll be counting on my mentors back at my home team for all sorts of advice along the way.

- Angela :)

PS
To Warren/Dillard/Eric/Bill/Mrs. Cary: Thank you for all of your hard work, especially during those difficult first years (remember 2000, when we had to move shop three times in six weeks??). I owe you all so much!

[melitami]

Because it sounded cool and a bunch of my friends wanted to do it too.

Honestly, our physics teacher my junior year of high school asked who wanted to build a robot, since FIRST was trying to get more teams in the Richmond, VA area (this was the first season there was a regional at VCU), and a bunch of us agreed and got into it, not realizing what we were getting into. Thus team 422 was born :D And I've had the FIRST bug ever since.

[karinka13]

I don't really have an inspiring story or anything. It was more like..

Meredith: Karen! I know you from the play! Join robotics!
Me: *while getting pushed and shoved from every direction as people run towards the CSC table, which is giving out candy* umm...when are the meetings? *note over committed stressed voice* :ahh:
Meredith: Whenever you can come
Me: So....if I can't some, I don't have to?
Meredith: Right.
Me: Ok. Sign me up.

Fortunately, I did go to a view meetings and realized that I loved FIRST.

[Beth Sweet]

Ok fine, I'll be the honest one and admit why I joined: there was a seriously cute guy in it.

The more important thing is why I stayed. I caught the FIRST bug and even the doctors couldn't cure it. And, to tell y'all the truth, I'm still not over it. It's fun, it's great, and it's like the real world but the real world in which people are actually courteous and helpful. I'd like it to stay this way as long as I can.

[Alaina]

I joined because my boyfriend (more like ex-boyfriend :() told me to...
I stayed because of the people I got to work with....

[emnasson303]

i got completely hooked on FIRST in 4th grade .. my brother was a freshman and had joined the team, so we (my family and i.. ) had been to a couple of the meetings during build, and we went to the jersey regional. by the end of saturday i had no voice. the next year i was already volunteering at the regional, and i've stayed involved ever since .. even though i'm in 8th grade, and my brother isn't in high school anymore :rolleyes: i guess the main reason i stayed is because the people are so awesome ;)

[shyra1353]

Curiosity. And then I went to competition and fell in love. Now it is a part of me that I can't get away from.

My friend was on the team the year before and I saw pictures and it looked cool. Plus she got to miss school for competition. Also, my brother would tell me when I was younger (like 7 or 8) that girls can't be engineers (which was also the reason why I never touched Meccano or anything like that) and I had to prove him wrong. I think I've done a good job with that.

But curiosity was the main reason. And boy am I glad.

[jessjank.]

I remember as a Girl Scout in elementary school I went to a lock-in at the high school's gym, of which one half was devoted to Cybersonics' mock playing field and game equipment. I had always loved Lego's and mechanical things of sorts, so when I was told what all the equipment was for I was terribly interested and was very curious as to what it was all about. Unfortunately, I never heard anything else about the team for a few years after that.

In middle school, though, our technology teacher was the brother of 103's founder and adviser and always told amazing stories about the team, FIRST, and robotics in general. Having remembered seeing some of the things when I was younger and having cultivated further interest in the whole program, I was very excited when I was given the opportunity in eighth grade (2001 season) to visit the Philadelphia Alliance Regional. I never expected to be drawn in so quickly, but the energy, excitement, and enthusiasm at the event were just incredible and it truly seemed like something I wanted to become a part of.

When I entered 9th grade, I quickly grabbed a team application from the extracurricular fair the school had held that year. The strange thing was, though, that I almost ended up not joining because I had already gotten myself involved with a number of other activities by that time and when I had definitely decided to join I had missed the application deadline, but thankfully was still accepted. While I had originally intended to join the team's manufacturing department, I ended up finding my place in Communications/PR/Marketing. Needless to say, I am indescribably glad and grateful that Cybersonics and FIRST became part of my life.

[katiyeh07]

My grandfather was an engineer on the team and told us to come see the robot at the highschool when i was in 2nd grade. We went to a few competitions. Now I've been with FIRST for 8 years, and my grandfather is still on the team too. It's in my blood I guess you could say :rolleyes:

[StephLee]

A mentor realized we had only one girl(who wound up not sticking around anyway), and started asking around at school for any freshman girls interested in technology. My name came up, and he contacted me. It sounded cool, and I wasn't really doing anything over the winter, so I went to a meeting. It almost scared me away, so I brought a friend the next time. She and I are the only girls on the team right now. I love it because I've always liked building things(even though no one in my family seemed to know that until I joined the team), and I love learning more about it. Plus, I love hanging out with the team; they're probably my favorite group of friends now.

[brandy836]

My Engineering Tech teacher is the lead mentor for our FIRST team, so he encouraged the 3 girls in my class to get involved. He said that the team was lacking in girls (they had only 3 at the time) and that it would be fun because there was all sorts of stuff to be done and (lots of guys!). After seeing a promo tape I decided to join the team because I wanted to go on the trips. For 2005, the girls on the team were still seriously out numbered (6-35), but next year we plan on getting more girls involved.

[Lisa Perez]

The year I joined was the first year Brother Rice (the all-boys school next door) integrated Marian students into the program. They had been working to get the girls on the team since their rookie year, so when their school finally let them, the guys were definitely into pitching the idea of robotics out to the girls.

One of those guys happened to be one of my friends from Model UN. He was so enthused about the whole OCCRA/FIRST experience (which seemed to fit my avid interest in math, science, and business) that I decided to keep an ear open for the announcements on the PA system.

.. And so it came to be. I joined 573 for the 2002 OCCRA season, and fell completely in love with everything - the building, being on pit crew, talking to other teams, etc.

[Jill1022]

I always liked doing stuff that not a lot of girls did....things that not a lot of people do actually. Our team is very very small and there aren't any teams in our area, so its a rather unique thing here.
I'm also a nerd at heart and I like that at first I may appear one way, but I'm actually pretty different (smarter, ect) once you get to know me.


Its pretty cool because women sometimes have that silly, stupid, and womanly image in the world and robotics has a nerdy, loserish (Sorry!) image in some places, so to be able to prove BOTH of those stereotypes wrong is pretty amazing!

[Laura 1547]

I think it was pretty much three reasons I joined:

1. My schools an all girls school so it's pretty obvious why there are girls on the team lol :P In chapel when they first made the announcement it looked like so much fun! (and it turned out to be even more fun than i thought it would be!!!)

3. My Dad's an engineer so I think he had a big influence on me. When I went to Take Your Kids To Work Day (I don't know if people in the states have it or not) I went to his work at Ontario Power Generation. I got a tour of the plant and it seemed pretty cool (especially the pink doors...yay for pink!). He explained stuff for me and I learned so much. I spent part of the afternoon with one of the few women in my dad's section and she said that there weren't very many other women in her classes when she was at university.

4. I want to show the world that women can build robots too!!!

[Tom Bottiglieri]

Well see theres an interesting story behind why I joined..

Oh wait..

Wrong thread.

;)

[BigHeavenlyEyes]

i joined first robotics cuz i thought it would be cool, and i was right. It was one of the clubs we could join at the beginning of the year, so i said "why not?" i met a lot of cool people and learned a lot of stuff about CAD and designing. I also learned stuff about scouting, and public relations. First is a really good way to also earn college credit.

[Liz C]

In my freshman year, my physics teacher said "Liz, how would you like to build a robot?"
And I (being totally unaware of what FIRST was, and quite frankly scared of the idea) said "I wouldn't!"
and he said "Great! I'll sign you up."

I got dragged into FIRST against my will, and it was the best thing that's ever happened to me. Although that might only work on a few innocent and confused freshman like I was, so I wouldn't reccomend using that tactic as a recruitment technique :)

[vic burg]

Well, i first found out about robotics the summer between my 8 th and 9th grade school years because i had started to volunteer at the Museum of Discovery and Science, and they were having a demo/ off season event and I saw how cool it was. Then I ran into one of my old friends who was involved with it. I asked her about all of it and she told me about it. Little did I know that Dillard had a robotics team. And when I discovered it, by others telling me about it, I believe, I wanted to join. Also, I have been impacted greatly but FIRST and robotics in general because I have seen what it takes to do teamwork. I was always interested in building things because my dad is a carpentar, and I am the tom-boy girlie. Plus, two of my girl cousins and an uncle are engineerers. My one cousin designed the GPS system in cars but, also, when I found out about RCU, I was estatic. I really hope we can get as many girls into FIRST as possible.... maybe even an all girls team somewhere.... although I do know one thing, some of the guys I know despise having girls doing mechanical work.... lol.

[tiffany34990]

Thanks everyone for imputing their stories... It really make me day reading a lot of all of your posts. :)

[Pat Chen]

As I read through the different replies :) ... I am glad that girls are interested in FIRST....as a Mom...growing up in the time when it was not cool to like this kind or even using tools....but girls.........remember ........you have to stay connected ...one way is through RCU....since they have the blessing from FIRST.. :) ...so if you do not have a chapter near you....create one .... let RCU know....and someone will help you.... yes ..playing with the big toys are fun :D

[Ashley Christine]

Well, my story could be long.

I was on the indoor track team and fractured my back pole-vaulting. So I needed something to do. This [at the time] cute guy that I was getting to know was on the team, so it was nice cuz we got to hang out and get to know eachother. But he soon got.. well, he liked me too much. But anyways, I saw all the stuff they were doing, and I was like wow, these are things that are really awesome.

Then I went to my first FIRST regional. It was so amazing, and a lot of fun. I found it so much more fun than cheerleading [which I love so much but cant do anymore cuza my back.]

FIRST is like the perfect middle for me. I am a smart girl and I love computers, so in FIRST I get to use my brain, but I also get to have fun and be energetic like in cheerleading.

[And there are boys ;) ] hehe.

I think its awesome though cuz now I am looking into new career/college options and stuff that I was too afraid was just a guy thing...

:)

[Winged Wonder]

There are actually a few reasons why I joined FIRST... but primarily, it would have to be because my older brother was involved, and he invited me to local competitions just to see what it was like, and once I learned about the mission of FIRST, I got hooked. :) Ever since I was little, I've enjoyed STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields, and the opportunity to learn so much about these fields was irresistable, especially since I knew I'd be joining the Pink Team, which meant I'd get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work out at the KSC Prototype Lab with real NASA engineers--the same people who send up the Orbiter!--to design and build a fully functional, high quality robot.

Of course I still haven't been able to learn much of the actual mechanical, electical, and programming aspects of building the robot since i've been stuck with mostly all Public Relations projects (which mind you, I don't mind doing... I'd just like to try something new), but that argument should be left for a post for another thread at another time. :-p

[dubious elise]

Well see theres an interesting story behind why I joined..


Gee, I would have loved to have heard that Tom ;)
Honestly though, these stories have been a blast to read!

My reason was three-fold. I went to a rather "isolated" Catholic grade school through 8th grade and we rarely heard about anything that went on at the local public high school even though they were just down the street. In about 5th grade, some members from the robotics team came down to visit us and I recognized one of the gals on the team as being a former St. Jerome student. I was super excited and vowed that I would try to join robotics when I got to high school.
Being the last of 5 kids didn't help my cause when I went to high school, everyone expected me to go through the same sports and classes and clubs as the rest of my siblings had done. Well, I did do the same sports, and I took the same classes (at a much younger age), but I certainly didn't want to join DECA or JSA or be a part of the local bands and play groups. Naturally, robotics just seemed to be a load of fun!
Finally, though he may not know it, Ricky Q. was the final factor in deciding to join team 269. My freshman year, I had honors Chemistry with Ricky and a few other robotics team members. As I soon found out, the teacher was also one of the mentors. Truth be told, I was rather jealous of the guys for going down to Texas and different regionals all of the time ;) So, the next year, when I had Physics and was (literally) surrounded in my seat by 6 guys from the team, I had no choice but to come to the first meeting and see what it really was all about!

I'm so glad that I haven't looked back since :)

[Amanda N.]

1) My brother. He was on the team in high school and my dad is an engineer mentor for the team. I remember during the last couple weeks of build season, my mom and I hardly would hardly ever see them... and when we did they would talk about the robot! :rolleyes: They came back from their first national competition with sooo many great stories about how fun it was. I could tell it was something my brother really loved, and he spent the summer before I entered high school convincing me to join. I joined, and had a good time that fall and during the build season. and I was addicted after my first regional... :D

2) I really am interested in math/science/technology kind of stuff, so there's a good chance I would have ended up on the team without my brother's encouragement. But I think that having someone give me advice and encourage me to join and get involved helped me become one of the most active members and a driver. I probably would have been too shy to get very involved otherwise.

3) Not everyone can say they were on a robotics team/drove a robot in high school... I like that I'm involved in something that's kind of unique but WAY cool! :D

[Steph]

I joined after hearing about the program from my grade 9 science teacher. It was our team's rookie year, so no one really knew what to expect, but my curiosity got the better of me. Boy am I glad it did. First year our team was a lot of seniors, with only 4 freshman. The seniors that year were a big part of what made me want to continue so badly. They sort of adopted me as a little sister, showed me how to operate things, and really tried to make me feel like I was making a contribution. My goal since then has been to help the freshman and first year members to feel as welcome as I did that first year. Being one of only a handfull of girls was also a great experience, though I do wish we had more, so they too could experience what I have for 3 years now. That's my goal for next year: get more girls.

[quedeseastu]

Insert generic reply about cute boys or something. No really...it's the power tools. there is nothing that gets my adrenalin going more than power tools. It's like I have the power of the univers between my little hands. (insert maniacal laughter here) Wow, I really need to get a life.
Now back to playing the text based game of Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy. I rock!

[MiscEllania]

I joined because there was a huge poster in my school advertising the team when it had just started. I didn't know anyone else on the team, but it looked like a lot of fun - although I had a completely wrong idea of what to expect. Think Robotech or Transformers.

Plus, I was sick of my brother always getting to gut the computers and cars instead of me. :p

[aziandorkess]

When FIRST came to my school in 8th grade, I thought it was really dorky.. and I really didn't have an opportunity anyways, since it was directed to high-schoolers anyways. But when some of my friends went off, had a blast, and did really well.. I started to reconsider. I got into in 9th grade, and one of my friends pulled me into FIRST. One of the reasons was that I felt rebellious against my parents, who didn't want me to pursue the sciences (crazy, crazy adults) and just went into robotics. I had such a great building season that I had to continue with FIRST. I also wanted to find out more about the inside-jokes and stories.. which were really intriging. Once you're hooked on FIRST, it's hard to break the habit.. well- it's next to impossible.
We don't really have a problem with recruiting girls, because most of the people at our school are really openminded, and we're already kind of a family.. so no one is judged as a "nerd" as they would be at normal high schools. Most girls are selfconcious, and it's hard to break out of cliques and traditions. Keep on trying to recruit girls.. there are so many aspects to FIRST, that everyone could have an interest in at least one of them.

[SirLancelot]

I took the provided tech classes in the middle school, enjoyed them, and did really well. Then the entire eighth grade class came up to the high school to preview their classes and the computers teacher mentioned a robotics team. I thought that it sounded cool because I've always been into art and math. Thankfully, FIRST is a mix of both, plus machine technology, etc. So I put my name down on the list and started to attend the meetings. Being a rookie team, we had absolutley no reason what we were doing.
Another reason why I joined was because there were a few people on the team that I had wanted to meet since sixth grade. News of those interesting ones travels quickly. So I made a bunch of wonderful friends who I can count on to be there if I ever need them.
I know you all hear this often, but FIRST has changed my life in a very big way.
~Anna

[Julia Magoolia]

The reason that I found out about FIRST was because the team advisor is was my computer teacher. He was VERY determined to get more people on the team.
My mother, an engineer, found out about it, thought it seemed fun, and we decided to go to the first meeting. I was pretty sure that it was something I wanted to do (the presentation using Transformers really sold me), so we continued to go... And I'm now sure I made the right choice!

[fancy013]

Just because we're girls doesn't mean we can't do the same things as what boys do! We might be a little weaker then guys but that doesn't mean we can't do the same things. I joined FIRST because i want to learn more about engineering and technology. learn more as time goes by, and helps you more when you go to college. =D thats my reasons.

[Sonya47]

Because I thought it would be interesting to learn about building a robot, and I had a friend in my lit class when I was in the 10th grade and I asked her questions about the team and I got really interested so I joined and started in my 11th grade year.

[Kristina45]

I honestly did not want to join when I first heard about FIRST! A few of my friends who are girls told me about it and dragged me into the first meeting that our team had....and I Loved it! I stuck with it and made it to be one of the 2 girls on the Pit Crew. I love FIRST and I'm sticken with it from now on. The atmosphere of the regionals and championship is so awesome...everyone gets along and everyone is friendly. FIRST is definitely a great experience and I keep telling all of my other friends who are girls that they should join. Next year I think we may gain a few girls on our team!

-Kristina* :)

[Dorienne]

So since there is a discussion talking about how to reach out to girls and get their participation. I would like to throw out to the girls why did we join FIRST?? perhaps this can help with reaching out to other girls if we know why others females have joined... so start telling your story!! :D and why have you stayed??? what is the great things about FIRST do you see??? What have you gotten out of it??

Great thread choice, Tiff! =)

I joined FIRST thinking it was just building a robot, and because I figured it would be interesting to build something really unique. I am and was very into technology, always have been. I thought it would be really fun. I never realized what it really, truly was all about. The team made it seem like it was just robot-building. However, when I got more involved in the business aspect later in my freshman year and throughout my years since, I realized instantly that it was so much more.

I have stayed through hardships and tough times on my team, mainly because I was excited in the fact that I was getting so much from FIRST. I was learning all kinds of things. It's like a business, a fun one. I did all sorts of paperwork, communications work to sponsors and authority figures in our state, and I did photography even, in my freshman year. Working with such a diverse group brought great surprise and a great deal of learning about each person's background and culture. Such a wonderful thing, FIRST is.

The great things I see in FIRST are in the students themselves. I see so much excitement in various students and the glow in their faces when they are watching the engineers and learning all they can, taking it all in. I never get tired of hearing about people's success stories in FIRST, because they're all so different.

It's amazing what people can learn from others through their experiences. What us girls can do is bring those experiences to other girls, in hopes that they will see all that we get from it, and possibly want some of that too. Then they will most likely get involved, and have their experiences of their own to pass along, and so on. That's how FIRST became how successful it is today, and that's how the girl population in FIRST will become more successful in the near future.

FIRST has given me maturity, confidence, strength in myself, and a learning experience I'll never, ever forget. This program, and all of you, have touched my heart in more ways than one. I am in debt to you all eternally for giving me the wonderful memories and lessons over these three years. My only hope in FIRST is that other girls will grow like I have, and let us lead them into this wonderful life-changing program.

[Ashley Christine]

I am actually very disappointed in my self about the fact that it was because of a guy that I joined. But I am very happy that it happened, because I found that FIRST was exactly the type of thing I was looking for and needed. I love to do this kind of stuff! :)

[Crash&Burn]

I joined first on the pure basis of fate. i was wandering about the library after school and saw my lab partner from honors chemistry from two years ago. We stopped to chat and he said he was there for robotics team (at the time there were only 4 members). He said I should join and convinced me with all the fun stuff FIRST does, So I did. I found a few great niches, In Fabrication, Machinery, Business, and Scouting.

[nehalita]

Our school joined FIRST last year and, to be honest, I showed up to a few meetings just so i'd be in the club and it'd "look good on my application." Besides, our school is an engineering magnet and being the nerd that eats lunch in my teacher's classroom and hanging out with other engineering kids, I heard plenty about it. Then, I heard there was programming and plenty of things for me to do but I never got a chance to participate because I was heavily involved with tennis (practice twice a week and games twice a week) and it was at the same time as all the meetings. It didn't seem possible to be able to be in two places at once.

This year, I decided to step up to the plate and got into what I was doing. I got my hand on programming and, although I could have done better, I'm still proud of what I have done. Relfecting back, I never thought I'd really get into FIRST -- maybe show up here and there but nothing big. Soon, I found myself working on FIRST related material in the morning, during lunch, and until 5pm every day and all of Saturdays. I can probably say I ate, breathed and lived FIRST. Now, I'm hooked on FIRST. I can't wait until next year =).

[Tigerlily-87]

My Dad (an engineer/mentor) and my older brother (a programmer) got involved in first a year before I did. I thought "I have no idea how to do that stuff...it's too complicated for me. The year after that they finally convinced me to come to a meeting and check it out. So I did, and I thought it was kinda cool, but it was still way too complicated for me. I just joined thinking I would help out with fundraising, t-shirts...stuff like that.

But then build season came. I got asked to help with a thing or two, and I was hooked. (At some point I realised that I didn't need to know what I was doing before I joined, I would learn it as I went. And most of the others had no idea what they were doing, either...they were leaning, too.) I just loved doing all the hands on building stuff! I love to see our ideas come to life! (And after a few attempts...maybe even work. ;) ) Eventually they started calling me "Chief Mechanic and bottle washer", and they blame me for building 90% of the robot. :o

After participating in FIRST, I've decided to go into engineering. I wasn't planning on going to college at all before, because I had no idea what I wanted to do. And now, I'll be starting engineering classes this fall. :D It feels great to have a direction in life. :)

[sure_smile]

i was in tech survey (by accident, i hadn't wanted to be), which is like a basic shop class, and the teacher helped a little with robotics and i heard about it and i thought it sounded cool but i seriously had no idea what i was getting into; tho im glad i did. then again...it doesn't matter so much why i joined, but that i stayed :D

[Marisa Russo]

Although I learned about FIRST too late in life to actually compete on a team, I have to admit that like many of you - I joined by accident. Since work (DeVry) was the way I found out about FIRST, in the beginning it was more of a "snmart org to be involved with" than the right org to give my time to.

At his point, I identify with Beth - the bug has got me - hook, line and sinker! Not only am I continually impressed by the students, mentors, educators, parents and everyone else involved with FIRST, but I'm excited by the possibilities that the future holds.

Since I've always been what you could call a "traditional" girl (it didn't matter that my natural intelligences for science were above an beyond the rest of of my strengths...I was still guided toward the humanities instead of engineering) - it inspires me to meet and encourage so many young ladies (like those of you here - and then some) with exceptional engineering (and problem solving) prowess.

It would be great to start the FIRST Femmes (or something like that)... Our purpose would be to encourage young girls with potential to get involved. The disproportionate amount of males to females in engineering is sad - I'm the perfect example of someone with a lot of potential that went on to a more traditional "girl" field bc I though I was "supposed" to. grrrrrr...

I'm currently 10 years out of high school, and what I care most about now is helping more and more young women understand that sky's the limits. As the largest minority group in the world, women need to band together to help eachother learn, grow and excel. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who wants to jump on the soapbox with me to actually do something tangible.

Who says girls can't be cute, fun AND SMART?!?

[Lisa Rodriguez]

I joined because my brother (ogre) did it and it looked fun, I'd been watching for 3 years, and I wanted to join. I stayed because my brother left (haha). I was able to be myself, learn real things and not have it matter that I was a girl or not. My team loves anyone who wants to learn. I'm hooked, between the program and the people, you can't even kick me out.

[angelc24]

In fourth grade, I was jealous because my math teacher picked one of my friends to be on our elementary school's Lego team. So In 5th grade i joined the Lego team and had a kinda horrible experience. I didn't really do anything. When I got to the Middle School I was convinced by a teacher to give it another shot and I loved it. I've been hooked ever since and as a Freshmen I am one of the few people on the team that has been involved in FIRST for some way or another for 5 years.

[Julia Magoolia]

It would be great to start the FIRST Femmes (or something like that)... Our purpose would be to encourage young girls with potential to get involved. The disproportionate amount of males to females in engineering is sad - I'm the perfect example of someone with a lot of potential that went on to a more traditional "girl" field bc I though I was "supposed" to. grrrrrr...



If you're looking for a FIRST organization centered around girls... You'd probably be interested in the RCU (Robot Chicks Union)! That's part of the focus of the RCU... to get more girls involved in FIRST, engineering, technology, etc.

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

Hm, well, Tom sent me over from the guys starting in FIRST thread...funny how some us get lost :P

Essentially I started becuase I heard about it from the girl I swam with freshman year. I needed a change, becuase I had a thirst for practical science that school science classes were barely providing me becuase I was above that level in interest. The choice to join was a difficult one. I was very very intimidated at first due to my lack of lab experience, and since I was doing a million and one things at once, decided to stick to a more laid back aspect.

However, once I realized what I'd gotten myself into, laid back was no longer a priority. Involvement was a priority. I am now with a group of friends who can smile when I rant about Science Fair and Robotics Nationals simultaneously and who help me see what education really means in this crazy world.

- Genia

[JacquelineR]

I had always loved playing with legos as a kid, so when my elementary school was trying to start up FLL teams, I joined an all-girls lego league team in 5th grade. We stayed together all through middle school, and I found that I loved working on the lego robot and programming it to accomplish all of the challenging tasks.

When I was trying to figure out what high school to go to, one of my requirements was that it had a robotics team. I had been to see a few of the "big kid robotics" competitions, and knew that I wanted to do it when I was in high school. At our club fair day I went to the robotics booth, and they all immediately started encouraging me to join once they found out that I was a girl interested in robotics. And I've been a programmer on our team ever since!

[Jasmin]

I was just curious about the entire concept. So I went to the Kettering competition and was just amazed by the amount of energy given towards it all. I got really into it, cheering for our team, and wanted to be a part of that. So I stuck around. It became addicting.

[Nica F.]

weeelllllll i joined first mostly because my school is brand new and the only extra-curricular activity was robotics, and that a couple of my guy friends told me soo many stories at the trips and stuff. i was first only into team identity and buisness plan but i got so involved that i started to learn how to do stuff, and now im uber involved.. lol

[tiffany34990]

If you're looking for a FIRST organization centered around girls... You'd probably be interested in the RCU (Robot Chicks Union)! That's part of the focus of the RCU... to get more girls involved in FIRST, engineering, technology, etc.

We are improving things and we need girls to be involved. Please sign up. We have a few things being worked on like chats about girl participation, how to get them involved and roles on the team and various other topics.

[QT_Angel]

When I first came to UDHS, the first person I became friends with is Dan Troy, who is one of the sons of our mentor Joe Troy. Dan became my best friend and he could never stop talking about robotics, that he is making Garrett, my other best friend, and i join robotics. At first I really wasn't interested, I came from a private school and had never heard of robotics until this year. At our first meeting, I had a accident before actually arriving at the meeting. Mr.Scogna, who is another mentor, was the one who actually took me to the hospital next door and explained to me about robotics. Even though I was in extreme pain because of my ankle, I was very interested. So, I went to the next meeting, fractured ankle and all, and everyone was so nice already, they talked about robotics and i just loved it. Here is a group of people that I have so much in common with that it is amazing. I have to say some of my best friends are in robotics with me.

[vic burg]

yes, we would like more chapters in RCU because that would be awesome.... it really would be. Especially to get more girls into engineering fields and what not jsut because men can no longer rule over what we have to do and say.

[tiffany34990]

yes, we would like more chapters in RCU because that would be awesome.... it really would be. Especially to get more girls into engineering fields and what not jsut because men can no longer rule over what we have to do and say.

eventually we would like more chapters but first we have to make the Union solid. chapters will eventually be mentoring and guiding the formation of new chapters.

[vic burg]

very true.... im guessing thats why yo were president this year.... lol. by the way, are we going to have different girls holding positions next yea ror what?

[Kate00]

I came to this school this year, and because of our acccellerated program (we do grades 7-9 in 2 years, Grade 10 in one, and 11 and 12 in 3 years) I had to get my grade nine credits after school with a teacher from the school. My tutor ended up being the Robotics mentor, and I got invited to Kickoff and the Saturday of competition. I caught the fever, and couldn't stop myself from joining this year. (not like i would want to)

Now, FIRST has taken over my life (and my harddrive)! I can't wait for next year!

[prb614]

I joined my robotics team, because the physics teacher, showed our school a clip about FIRST robotics from the news. From this short clip, I was amazed by the robots, and the dynamics of the competition. I know that other members of my team joined the club becasue they were interested in art, so they started off making the t shirts, then they slowly diffused with the engineering groups.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!
~PRB
1257

[tiffany34990]

very true.... im guessing thats why yo were president this year.... lol. by the way, are we going to have different girls holding positions next yea ror what?

well i wasn't president..lol...just captain of this chapter in Florida...

right now we aren't switching any roles in the Union..in the chapter.. i would like to do some assigning and all..i have to figure that all out..

[jarowe]

I suppose I joined because I like taking stuff apart and building junk. I've always annoyed my parents with it, (i.e. taking apart the family heirloom of a pocket watch when I was 7 because I didnt understand why it didn't need a battery, or constantly asking "why" when my mechanic of a father was working.)

I saw an ad in the school and went to a meeting. I suppose I'm the anomaly, but I was already interested in the robotics team before I knew it existed.

[Hafize]

I joined the robotics program in my school because my brother was involved. I am so glad I joined because it has changed my life dramatically. This was my third year on the team and my role on this years team was engineering captain it was the first year that we have had a female engineering captain and may slogan was "I'm a girl I can do it."

[tsa_nerd]

i joined because people from all over the place was tlling me that i would like it because im currently in an after school program called TSA(or technology student association) where we basicaly do competitions including robotics which this year is my second time doing it where with first we have alot of members and with the tsa robot we only have two people working on this funcinal r/c robot. i now am enjoying working with two different robots and working with alot of new people. now im just called the evil robot lady. lol :yikes:

[1086Programmer]

Why did I join FIRST?

Hm. Well. I hadn't even heard about it until I started shadowing at different highschools. I was looking at attending a specialty center for Engineering, and they required their students to participate. I attended a meeting, and went to the following competition. Instantly I was in love. I always hated Sports because the chick that worked out more was better, and battles of the brains were too competitive for me.

When I joined the FIRST Robotics team at DRHS I was just in it because I wanted to go to Competition. I ended up being the Programmer for this year, and quite possibly the next three. I didn't start looking at how many girls were at FIRST until I was at VCU. I'm one of 2 girls that actually helps with the build of the Robot. The other one is quite annoying and hardly ever there. I didn't think anything of it until I got to VCU Regional and there were only 7-10 teams out of 61 that had more than 1-2 girls on their team that did more than cheerlead.

I am an advocate for team spirit any day of the week. However, there is nothing I love more, as a "nerd chick" than to see more girls getting more assertive in the technological field. ^_^ Why, once I even had the pleasure of meeting Woody, and he told me how great it is to see girls out in the pits working on the bots.

And as a side note: I did not intend to join first to meet guys, but when you're babysitting the bot while the rest of your team is out eating lunch... Sometimes they are just drawn to you. o_o No lie. It is not a reason. It is a perk. ^_^

Sara :rolleyes:

[kireitenshi00]

I ended up joining FIRST, because I was in FLL first. My future robotics lead teacher often popped his head into our meetings and nagged us to join the robotics team when we got to high school. Therefore I immediately signed up. Since I've entered FIRST, I've fallen in love with engineering and I hope to major in biomedical engineering when I get to college.

GO TEAM 677!!!

p.s. see what you've started dain?

[melissa]

I joined FIRST because I was in a lego league team in 8th grade...and one of the mentors (who is also a mentor for the highschool robots team) kept bugging me to come see what FIRST was all about. I'm glad I listened to him. But it's interesting because in 8th grade I didn't want to do Lego League, but two of my friends were doing it and told me it would look good on a highschool application so do it...and I did. I ended up staying with it longer than either of them, and now I can't get enough...go figure haha.

[evelyn1503]

i joind couse an frend told me and i relized it will give me some skilld in the mettle shop thet i wouldent have learnd befor

[midgetcuber]

I've always liked building things...I played with Legos a lot when I was a kid, but they really annoyed me because I would run out of pieces or not have the right size, and it's hard to cut up Legos. Had to improvise with things like erasers and duct tape =P

But now, I have POWER TOOLS!!! *maniacal cackling* :yikes:

I'm into programming too. I use Java more than C though, so I have to switch gears now. Also, most of the nerdy/math/science people were in robotics, so I knew a lot of them. I used to be primarily a mather here (http://www.artofproblemsolving.com) but I think that now robotics has the most priority in my life. (...my grades aren't so great around February :( )

I almost decided not to join because of the time commitment, but I did and I ended up really happy with it.

That is, after the freshman initiation rites of filing. *ominous drum roll*

[FlipperGiggles]

Honestly, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had just heard about it on the school announcements and I asked around, and I became interested. And now, I could not be any happier I joined. FIRST has truly changed my life for the better...I think I'm addicted :rolleyes:

Haha, a lot of us are named Rachel

[Ebolagirl]

Well, I didn't even know our school had a robotics team until the end of freshman year. Then my friend Matt told me about it and he was like "you should join". So... when the school started up again I decided to check it out. I'm glad I did because it's one of the best things I've ever done.

[mizscience]

hmmm...i actually joined robotics originally (in 6th grade) because I thought it was actually aerobics... well, i quickly figured out I was wrong, but i liked robotics better than I ever would have aerobics, lol. I think i've stayed because not only are you learning skills needed to be future engineers and scienctists, but it is A LOT of fun and you meet awesome people. :]

[Athleticgirl389]

I feel like getting this thread going again haha.

I joined FIRST because my brother was in it. And since he was a Freshman, making me a 7th grader, I was always going to competitions and the work site. It was just interesting. At one of the banquets, they were seeing who could do a puzzle cube the fastest and none of them could do it. Then I showed them all up and completed it before any of them :D And when I got into high school I didn't join PERSONALLY til I was a junior. I wish I had offically joined when I was a freshman.,. now being a senior, I'm really gonna miss it :( It is definately the best experience of my life!

[Royalpride1070]

Well, i come from an all girls school, that really focuses on athletics a lot...and since i'm not the BEST at athletics, robotics was something i was really interested in. Generally, i think it is important for girls to learn to build and program and participate in the stuff that FIRST has to offer. Personally, i've loved to take apart calculators and put them back together since i was a kid.. and in the future i wanna triple major, one being engineering..so robotics is really important to me.. it's another thing to get up in the morning for.

[LightWaves1636]

I joined because it started out with wanting to do something new when a friend told me to take beginning electronics. It led me to advance electronics, then desktop robotics, and then finally the F.I.R.S.T. Team (Team 1636).

[BlondeNerd]

I joined FIRST because, well, I am a nerd and that's what I do! Actually, my area has a free educational summer camp and between 8th and 9th grade I took the robotics course. It was mostly building little bots out of kits from Radio Shack, but one day Kilroy V came in for a demo. I loved it, but kind of forgot about it and moved on. Then, in 10th grade, I joined Governor's School and saw an announcement about the robotics team, which immediately made me remember that summer camp. I started going to meetings and actually shocked the boys when I knew how to use a drill. The rest, as they say, is history. I just finished my 1st FIRST season and cannot wait to start the next one!!

[AmayaSaria]

Well, when I was in the 8th grade, my cousin was a freshman. She told me all about robotics and how much fun she always had. It really started to get my interest, because I used to watch Battle Bots. When she told me that it was almost nothing like Battle Bots, I thought 'how can this be fun then?'

Well, she brought me to Trenton Regional in 2005, I went, I saw what happened, and loved every minute of it. The people you meet, the pits, the robots, EVERYTHING. It was a blast.

Not only that, when I was little, I've always helped my Daddy fix our car, and that kinda inspired me to be a mechanic since I was little.

So. Because of her, (and my Uncle, who helps out with her team) I joined. And I'm so glad I did. =D Thankies to my cousin, and other people from Team 224 for introducing me to FIRST.

[cfriedenbach]

I had no intention of joining at first, but my cousin was on the team and I needed a ride home from school on Tuesdays. I went to a meeting because I figured it was better than sitting around doing homework. At the meeting I fell in love with FRIST. Plus, they discovered I had a knack for soldering and kept me around. How ironic is it that I am now the head of controls for my team(1351) as a sophomore? Guess the world works in mysterious ways.

[BandChick]

Okay, don't laugh, I joined because my mom told me to. She had been a part of the NJ Commission on Science and Technology when FIRST was just getting its feet wet in NJ. In fact, I think NJCST gave grant money to the program. Anyway, she was invited to attend a competition the same year (1999), and dragged me (a little 8th grader at the time) along. I've been hooked ever since. xD

[cjreyda]

I joined b/c our team captain (also a girl) convinced me to. I stayed b/c I fell in love with the team, the robots, and the competitions! =]

[Faith]

I first began in FLL in 7th grade. I had always loved computers and robots, and my friend's neighbor talked to my friend about how he was making an FLL team and he told me about it and I joined FLL. I did FLL in 8th grade and 9th grade (I started my own team so I could do it last year because I was the right age) and I also did FRC last year. I started my own FVC team this year so I could participate in that and am also participating in FRC this year (how could I not).

I love FIRST and robotics and the people here and everything about it :D .

[Lindsay Davies]

Ever since middle school, I've always been good with computers. Tech was definitely my best course, and that escalated through high school. In my 2nd year of high school, my Gr 9 tech teacher mentioned the program to me, and I found it interesting. Although at the time I was involved with my school's hockey team, as well as my city's ringette team. I didn't join because I was afraid I wouldn't have the time to be committed.
Last year, one of my friends and I made a promise to join the robotics team together. We decided that we would do it together, and if one of us quit during the year, the other would quit too.
As you can see, I'm still here :) and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm glad I've joined because I've had so many great experiences with it that have allowed me to develop as an individual. I've also made so many great friends on various teams, and I keep kicking myself that I hadn't joined in Gr 10.
:)
Its great to see all the stories of how ladies have joined FIRST. Very inspirational in my opinion. :)

[sarcasticmadnes]

Well, for me, my parents encouraged me to join the team after she heard about it from her friends. I went to a private middle school and transitioned into a public high school were I knew pretty much like 6 people and I haven't always been much of a people's person :o in the end I joined anyways, and my best friend joined too, so it wasn't too bad having to face all these strangers. My freshman year there were pretty much about 4 girls on the engineering side but this year its gone up :) due to intense recruitment this year thanks to an extremely enthusiastic pr division :D now, FIRST is all I do, and it's been awesome. I've met so many awesome people and the robotics room has become my home away from home. All of us at robotics are so close and we all just hang out so much that if one of us is gone, it just feels like something's missing, just like after build when we go, "I need something to do!" I can't wait for next year!

[jackie Ha]

i joined cuz i heard the announcements over the intercom in our school. at first i wasnt intereseted cuz i was new to the school, i didnt know anyone. but then i met the team, and they welcomed me with arms wide open. i met my metors, who were awesome. and i stayed cuz my team became my extended family. no matter what you do you cant get away from them ;) then the building began, wow, i had no idea how fun things can get when people get tired, like the whole lighting our gears on fire thing, but anyways, its my third year on the team, and i plan to stay involved in FIRST throughout college and hopefully after that as well.

[Regine]

Well, 1070 is an all girls team and it makes robotics really fun because we can get together and know we have common interests. I joined because I needed something to complete my nerdyness and I never regretted it.

[Mari]

I joined FIRST because of my friend Michelle, she was always talking about FIRST and how great it was. So I finally joined and I love it. :p

[DevilChild]

I joined FIRST because about half of my friends were in it and they told me to. From the very first (lol FIRST) meeting I loved the people on the team and the whole concept of gracious professionalism and what FIRST was all about. Then, I went to my first competition (Ramp Riot) and I haven't looked back since. I went from having never seen a competition to leading our cheering section. It was the greatest experience of my life. And everything since then has just made me love FIRST even more. I think it's especially great for girls to get into robotics, because it brings their minds off of the clothes and the boys and on to more worthwhile things, and it enforces the idea that girls can be intelligent too.

[Spiffizzle]

I joined because I am better at science and math than anything else and it sounded really cool. Also, my sister was involved in my team's first year of existence, when I didn't have time at the time, but now that I was able to get into it I'm soooooooo happy and I'm hooked.

[thatphotochick]

i really only went to the meeting cause my photography was cool and so enthuastic about robotics, it looked fun, and i didn't have to watch the video to see that lol. i only joined FIRST cause at the time i was very interested in photography and videography, and it was the only thing that i could do that with, pretty much, and because i was promised to just be the photographer/videographer/historian lol. but it did look like a fun time consumer. i probably wouldn't have joined if i knew that even after 2 years everything but the photography was mind boggling lol. plus where else is not only fun but acceptable to the YMCA, the Macarena, We Like To Party, and Cotton Eyed Joe. oh and who wouldn't wanna miss days of school to go to cities you've never been to, while learning about robots and having fun.

[Carrie102]

I've always been a nerd at heart. (not really the smartest, but up there ;) .) I had a friend join in october, before they mentioned FIRST and were fooling around with programming vexbots (i think). She mentioned this cute boy was in it, and so I got interested. Lame, I know. But she actually didn't end up sticking with it. And I continued going to the meetings and finally in January they explained FIRST and us actually doing work with real robots, and since then... Ive been obsessed. :)

[Katie Hans]

Well, when I was in sixth grade we had a representative from NASA come to my school to talk about space exploration and stuff like that. I made the decision that I wanted to have a career that had something to do with aerospace or aeronautics. When it came time to choose my classes for high school, I signed up for an introduction to engineering course and my teacher spoke very highly of the robotics team and how, if we wanted to see real-life applications of Inventor (which was pretty much the basis of what we learned in class), we should join the team. I really wanted to do well in that class, so I joined the team. I loved watching everyone interact, and pretty soon I made friends.

I don't know what I would've done if I didn't get involved with FIRST. It might sound weird, but not only has it helped me with the concepts of math and science, but it's also helped me in other aspects of my life, like how to forget things and have fun with people. Plus, I think my coordination might have improved a bit from human playering. Not much, though, because I did almost get my eye poked out from running into a tree branch in Atlanta. :rolleyes:

[Kim Masi]

I have this fascination with knowing how everything works. That was part of the reason I joined.

[Sam Cat]

My interest in FIRST was probably ingrained in me since I was a little girl. I loved to play with legos, and my comfort around tools was apparent when I let my dad pull out my first tooth with his pliers (much to his surprise, considering I wouldn't let my mom pull it out with her fingers!). Anyway, I decided I wanted to join FIRST when I went to (what is now) my school's open house. I met the team mentor, and he described to the whole room of us how FIRST is "the hardest fun you'll ever have." Our robot from 2002 was on display, and I determined to join the robotics team at the first opportunity. I've loved participating in FIRST ever since. Nothing compares to the challenge of build season and the satisfaction of seeing your creation compete against robots built by teams from all over the world. It's one of the greatest feelings ever. You meet a lot of great people and learn so much through the process about robots, teamwork, and life. FIRST confirmed for me that I want to be a robotics engineer, and I tell everyone I meet how awesome FIRST is. A lot of the girls on the team just graduated, so I really hope more girls will realize how awesome FIRST is and join a team.

[Mitch1525]

I joined FIRST because my brother was on it and he always told me about how much fun it was. I also used to participate in FLL in middle school. I went to the meeting and found that I was the only girl who participated. Even though I was only a freshman, I went to the meetings almost as often as the seniors. When I went to the competition, I meet someone there and we have been pen-pals ever since. I'm trying to convince some of my female friends to join the team so we have some diversity. Our team is quite small, but I'm trying to make it bigger! I LOVE FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :yikes: :yikes:

[Éowyn]

I joined FIRST because of a few things:
1: I like building things, especially when they work.
2: I was in first lego league.
3. I like learning.
4. I love machining, assembling, and fixing.(when I know what's wrong. :p )

And one reason that's just for fun...

5. I am a certified genius.

[Libby K]

I joined FIRST because, through my family, i've been going to events. I'd always wanted to be on a team, because i'd been able to see how much fun it was!

FIRST is definitely the best thing that's happened to me [so far] in high school. and life. I really don't think it can get any cooler than this.

=]

[andyhoyt911]

well to be honest, i was looking for something i could do in high school, and i found it. i also like to build things and tear them apart, so in a way, this works out perfect.

but in a way, i dont like being on my team because all the other members think that because i'm a girl, i dont know anything.

and thats not true. they dont give me a fair chance to show them...

im not sure if i'm going to stay.

any advice, girls?

[Libby K]

definitely stay. jump in as much as you can, and you'll earn their respect. it's totally worth sticking around for.

[JaneYoung]

well to be honest, i was looking for something i could do in high school, and i found it. i also like to build things and tear them apart, so in a way, this works out perfect.

Your words hold their own wisdom.
It has to start somewhere, let it start with you.
4 years ago we had one girl on the team, this year we are up to 7 and they are busy. It had to start somewhere.
Jane

[thatphotochick]

im not sure if i'm going to stay.

any advice, girls?

even though i'm still clueless, for the most part, about robotics and building, it was still fun to be on the team.
alot of the other girls had that same problem, cause some of the boys thought they were as *dumb* as me, but they just stayed right there, training in the pre-season and learning how to machine and what-not better than most of the boys and when the season started most of em contributed more to the robot that most of the boys. just stick close to whatever's going on and be the first to volunteer. that made our mentors have soo much respect for the few girls that would just stick by them as close as possible and volunteer/jump in whenever someone was needed. our head mentor tells everyone that if he could, he'd have a team of just girls.

[A. Snodgrass]

I joined FIRST because quite honestly, it seemed like it would be fun, it would allow me to have something that I would be interested in after school, and it was a wonderful opportunity. This is a decision I havent regretted since.

[laurenlacy]

Why I joined? I honestly don't know. I think it was that I needed a cool extracurricular, I was unmotivated doing what I'd been doing, and I was interested in the business side of things.

Why I am still doing it, and hope to mentor etc in the future? Because it made me feel like I was someone more than the smart girl who didn't apply herself. It caught me at a good time. The team is a great group of guys and girls, and they showed me what could happen when you do apply yourself--suddenly I was in charge of getting thousands of dollars for the team, for sending thank you's to around 50 mentors and sponsors... there was something bigger than myself at play. I know you supposedly can get that from sports teams, but I wasn't in the sports I was playing. The sports I was playing gave all the glory to the team superstar... and I was just the kid who liked to get in there and play. In FIRST, the kid who likes to get in there and play is the superstar... because they are the people making the biggest difference.

Even better is that there is room for EVERYBODY to do something. I was the kid involved on the business side, but I was also able to get my hands dirty building the robot. The kid who likes making videos has a spot. The kid who loves to draw attention to herself has a spot. The kid who loves building computers on the weekends has a spot. The girl who likes to design all day has a spot. To be honest, many of the people I found loving the most were the kids I would really not have "discovered" on my own... they were the kids who I thought just sat at home and did math problems on the weekends, and suddenly I was finding out that they also had designed a board game for themselves and did other crazy fun things.

During my first build season, I was busier than I had ever been before. I was also happier than I had ever been, and my grades were up. I think it's because I wasn't afraid to ask questions anymore, or to feel stupid. I had never had BAD grades, I had just never had straight A's. I had a great relationship with my family, because we had dinner table conversation topics that everyone could participate in for the first time in years. I made great friends too... working on something for around 5 hours a day after school does that to you.

When I went to that first regional competition I can't even describe the feelings I had. I felt like I was USEFUL... a feeling that I had rarely before felt. I was busy, and at night, after games of truth or dare that got the team waaaaaaaay too comfortable with each other, the other two girls and I would talk until 2 in the morning... and then wake up at 6 the next morning to go compete. It was probably not the best idea, but on the plus side the team has great quotes from me being sleep deprived. It was so exciting to see something that had consumed my life for six weeks finally in action, and in retrospect, it really didn't matter that we were winning or losing, it was that I was finally excited about something.

Sorry this is so long winded... but I guess what I'm saying is that it's not why a girl joins so much as why a girl stays. I wish there was a way to get more girls involved... but I think if more girls share how amazing their experiences have been, it will happen.

-Lauren

[kathimm1]

I dont really know. I just always was interested in taking things a part and putting them together.and also building things with my brother out of legos and knex.

[vic burg]

I just would like to update my inititial response.
I had joined the team at my school because I thought it was interesting and cool.
But now that I have been with FIRST for a couple of years, and I actually just wrote an application essay for a college about robotics, I have come to realize that I had really joined because of my background and experiences. My father has been a carpenter since before I was born. So, I was always helpnig him out with projects and what not. I also had gotten a lot of exposure to art.
I guess it was a combination of the two that lead me to my belief that robots are a piece of art.
I am Mechanical Manager for the second year in a row with the team and I get more and more enthused about teaching the new FIRSTers on our team about the art of robot building.
I think that everything is some art form.
FIRST is just a great way for thinking/tech artists to show off their skills.
Just like an artist (visual) can't put on a performance, but can only display his/her artwork, our competitions are just like showcases for our artwork.
We get to interact with it, but it is still kind of like showing it off.
I think that is why I really got into robotics.
((Also to play with legos as a teenager)) :D lol
to show off my artwork.

[robotkayleigh]

I had to write an essay for our team scholarship that I think explains my reasoning fairly well.

If I think about it, my entire life seems like one big FIRST experience. I first saw the Bomb Squad when I was in the fourth grade and the thing I wanted from that moment on was to be on the Bomb Squad. FLL started the next year and I was on my way. I sort of bounced around on school teams for a while, but then some of us got serious and we started our own team. Lucky for us, we had six Bomb Squad members to show us the ropes. Jesse Darr and Ashley DeMass seemed to take an interest and worked with me on the research project. They taught me how to speak in front of people, talk to judges, and think on the fly, all skills that I would find essential not only for a future in FIRST, but for life.
Before I knew it the ninth grade had ended and I was getting ready for high school and The Bomb Squad. Little did I know my parents had different ideas concerning my FIRST career. They gave me an ultimatum saying that I could join Bomb Squad and nothing else or I could not join Bomb Squad and compete in everything else. Unfortunately for them their plan backfired and I chose FIRST. The rest is pretty much history. I started out a quiet sophomore sorting screws, obsessing about ratchets, and doing whatever the seniors asked me to. My junior year I think I grew up a little, wanting to know about everything from Inventor drawings to the finished robot. Stepping into the position of driver I was more nervous than I think it's possible to describe, but I learned how to control my nerves and something about grace under pressure. This year was my senior year and I put everything I could think of into this season. I stayed on people's couches or in their spare bedrooms, going home maybe twice a week, just to attend meetings full time. I made sure we had a coloring book and decorated recycling bins.
I don't know what sorts of experiences you want to hear about, but I don't think I could have put anything more into Bomb Squad or FIRST. I started a silly kid who liked to play with legos, then I grew up a little and started researching topics, I grew up a little more and mentored my own FLL team, I grew up even more and became senior robot driver for the Bomb Squad. Now I am a freshman entering University of Arkansas's mechanical engineering program and I plan to continue to let FIRST help me evolve. I hope to one day be a referee, a judge, have my own team, or maybe when I'm old and experienced enough, Dave Lavery or Dean Kamen's job. You never know. It could happen.

[Athleticgirl389]

I don't remember if I posted here or not... if I did, just let me know haha.

But I joined FIRST because , well, when my brother was in 9th grade (and i was in 7th) he joined. So of course, I was forced to go with my mom to drop him off at the work site. Well, this one time we went, had to have been one of the first because there was nothing built yet haha, I went into the work site and was basically all :eek: So the students had to sign in on a sheet of paper (for attendence records and all). No one was looking - so i did it too lol. The elder kids (and adults) saw it and laughed. Then 2 years later, at the team dinner, with our new advsior, I solved a puzzle cube in about 10 seconds and they guys couldn't do it. So with me seeing a work site, going to offseasons, and doing what the guys could/couldn't do, I knew I wanted to do this - and boy am I ever glad I joined FIRST. I got to use my imagination soooo much and loved it. From the first day til now, I still see myself as that lil 7th grade girl - using her imagination to the fullest. Now, I get to use my imagination and it's a much bigger part of the team.
With the years on my team, I've learned so much. Now that I'm in college, I can put that stuff to use; and yes, I am still mentoring the same team that I "joined" 8 years ago =]

[Cooley744]

I joined basicly because of the trips and because I could get out of class and boring study halls. I've stayed because it's...well it's...FIRST.

[Nica F.]

So it's my second time posting in this thread.
And no I'm not here to change my answer and make it seem like I was in it for more interesting reasons, but this is what I'm going to say;

Its so great to read this thread and see a post i posted when i just joined because I was able to see how much I've grown.

My answer a long time ago was simple, I joined because it's the only club i could, and because of all my guy friends.
And to think that because of just those little things, i was introduced to a program that completely altered my life and made me who I am today.

[1527Michiru]

Well, here's my story....

A friend of mine was assigned to Robotics as an extra curricular class (She hadn't signed up for it. Also, robotics is not a very commonly known, or popular class at our school) and she ended up loving the program. she kept telling me "You have to join robotics!! It's so much fun!" So i came to a few meetings and then re-arranged my schedule so I could transfer in the next semester. I've been in love with my team and the FIRST experience ever since. I plan on coming back to mentor after I graduate.
:D

I love this program and the people you meet in it. I'm so lucky to have found it, and I will remember what happens within the next few years for the rest of my life. :]

~Casey

[JYang]

My friend was the captain of our team. She convinced me to try it for one day since I had never had any robotics experiences that I liked. And I was suprised at what went on and just started to continue going. After a while it was actually fun and addicting. So now I'm back for another year hoping it will be as fun if not better than last year.

[StaceyW]

:p I Basically joined first because of my brothers and then my whole family jumped in so i did to. I've always been going to FRC competitions even though i'm not on a team and i did FLL and this year we're starting a FTC team. I guess the main reason i'm still going to competition is its just fun and I like meeting new people. :p I Defiantly Don't Plan To Stop Going To FRC Competitions for a long time because volenteering is really fun. Even if we only have a vex team. :p

[technoL]

Flashback 3 Years:
I knew that I was pretty good with science and math and I liked building things, but I had no idea what I could do with these interests. I was in 8th grade and everyone was choosing what high school/magnet program they wanted to go to. There was a bit of local press about Mayhem @ the Museum and I noticed a local school was involved. Looked interesting, so I looked into it and checked out their magnet program. I visited the open house and magnet showcase, saw the robot and school facilities and I was hooked. It seemed too good to be true. I "followed" 108 through the 2005 season and it happened to be a great time to follow...the year we made it to Einstein. I was definitely joining this team! That whole summer between 8th and 9th grade I was an avid Chief Delphi lurker, and practically memorized info from the FIRST site. I joined the team in Fall of 05 and it has been one of the most interesting experiences of my life thus far.

[dumb freshman activities >> shyness >> learning >> fun >> inspiration>>]

Fast Forward to Present:
It was a decision that I couldn't regret if I tried (and at times, I have). Sure there have been ups and downs, but it still seems too good to be true. I'm just a bit disappointed that I couldn't get involved earlier with FLL. My experience with FIRST has been one of the best and is nowhere close to an end. The journey continues...

[Éowyn]

I didn't want to be a dumb blonde. (Well, I guess there wasn't any real danger of that since I'm not blonde, but still. . .:rolleyes: )

I started in FLL, then went straight to the big 'bots. I loved the machine shop, in fact I still do, the ability to make parts for a robot out of a hunk of metal is somehow very alluring. :D I learned a LOT in my first two years on FRC, and I plan on learning more in my last two.

Bring on 2008!

[MChapman]

Well actually i had no idea we even had a team at my high school till my friend told me about it because he was on the time. So being a great friend he dragged me on the team as a new recruit.

I had no idea what i was doing, after all i had never really been interested in the whole science thing. But sure enough before we hit competition of that year i was a whole new person and learned so much. Now i love the program, and cant get enough! I graduated this past spring and now in college i still keep up with my team and support them whenever i can!

Go FIRST & Girls! :D

[Jessica Stidham]

The TechnoKats have put on a ball drop in dowtown Kokomo since 1998. When I was in middle school I went down to see it and I wanted to know more about the people who did it. My freshman year I took Intro to Engineering Design and my teacher was one of the lead mentors. He told me all about the team, so I decided that i would go to some meetings. Right away I loved it.

[Andy Baker]

... Right away I loved it.

And, this past weekend at the ARC event in Michigan, Jessica did a great job as the first female driver of a TechnoKat robot in over 10 years.

Way to go, Jessica!

Andy B.

[Shelbo]

I joined FIRST because as a freshman i didn't have a science. And of course my mom said "You NEED a science!" Then my 8th grade teacher told me about this program her neighbor was taking over and told me to come to a meeting. I did. and at first i was like it's ok nothing majorly exciting, but in 3 weeks the Duel on the Delaware was going to take place. From there it was simple. I FELL IN LOVE! the music, the people, the excitment, the fun, the experience, everything was just WOW!

3 years later i'm glad i joined. I have met some extraordinary people that have changed my life. :D

[lackadaisy :)]

My elementary school teacher was one of the coaches of Team 341 Miss Daisy and she talked about FIRST all the time. Then when I was in 4th grade, my friend's sister was on the team, so she brought me to Ramp Riot and the Philadelphia Regional a couple times, and I was like "Wow, I want to do that when I'm in high school!" Then at the beginning of my freshman year, I wasn't sure if I really wanted to join or not. At a band practice I met one of the girls on the team and she told me how much fun it is, so I decided to join. I'm so glad I did! It's so much fun and I've met so many awesome people.

[SPurekar]

I started with FLL in eighth grade, when my dad decided he'd coach an all girls team to get some girls involved since the 3 other teams from my middle school had only boys. Enough girls didn't sign up, and we ended up with a team mostly of boys. I hated the idea at first and refused to do anything, since engineering was for boys :( but loved it in the end and decided to join my high school's FIRST team the next year. Now I spend WAY too much time on FIRST things and am so glad I joined!

[Zyik]

I joined my local Lego League team in 7th grade. I showed up at the first meeting and thought I couldn't do anything. I never had legos as a kid, couldn't really do the building needed. However, the coach helped me out, and introduced me to programming. Never wanted to do anything else after that.

[Unagi_mochi]

At school in 7th grade, we were required to take this computer science class that pretty much introduced lego mindstorms. I instantly fell in love with it. A team for FLL was made the following year. Though I didn't join it, I heard all of these awesome things about it. When I finally got into high school, didn't have time for the school's FIRST team till my friends finally convinced me to join. I have no regrets at all. =]

[misspunk]

I joined FIRST because I thought it would be a really cool thing to say I helped build a robot. I wanted to do something besides sports. I wanted to do something out of the ordinary. It turns out that I am the only one from my school and 1 of 7 girls.

[drumfreak]

My math teacher was the one running the team. He really wanted me to join for two reasons:
1) I am a girl and there aren't many on the team.
2) I am apparently really smart (I'm a 9th grader takin trig.)
My sister's friend Jose was the president of the team and said it was really fun so I decided to go one day when I had nothing to do. I automatically loved it. Everyone was so nice that I decided to stay. Now the people on the team are some of my best friends!

[jennifer_1547]

okay I joined FIRST because it was something that was new to me. I have never really been the building type of person because I automatically assumed that I would never like it. I joined in grade 9 to just try it out, and I never thought that I would do it the year after. I mean, it was hard work and I thought that girls could NEVER build a robot. I enjoyed my first year so much it has actually made me consider doing engineering in univeristy (I'm still trying to choose between that or acting). Anyways, FIRST has been one of the best things I've experienced in my life. :)

[smurfgirl]

I joined FIRST not really knowing what I was in for, but I knew that I liked math and science, so it sounded like it would be cool. That's the very, very short version of my story. I wrote a bit of it out for my team when they asked current team members and alumni about our experiences on the team for a bit of inspiration for our Chairman's presentation binder. I'll post it below, because I think it relates a lot to this thread, but keep in mind it was written for people who know me, so some of the quips and anecdotes make a little bit more sense to them. :p I'd still like to share my story with all of you, though.

I'm also very willing to help by telling a part of my story... but I am fully capable of writing a full-length novel about my experiences in FIRST and what I have gotten out of it, so it was very difficult to keep it this short; brief just really doesn't happen with me. Brief is one thing I have never been. On the other hand, there are a lot of things I am now that I have grown to be because of how FIRST has shaped me.



My story begins in mid-October my freshman year. We start here because it is my humble beginnings in the program which made the greatest impact on me. I heard an announcement about a robotics team going to this thing called "Bash at the Beach"... images of robots on platforms surrounded by hot sand swirled through my head. I was intrigued, and I thought it sounded really cool. I want to do that, I thought to myself. But alas, school had started a month and a half ago, and I was far too timid to consider joining any clubs this late into the year (little did I know that the FRC season begins in January). Ultimately, I ended up ignoring the announcement that has piqued my interest in robotics, because my timidness won the battle. Yes, that's right, I was timid. I'm guessing those of you who know me now wouldn't pick timid as the first word to describe me. That's thanks to my experiences with FIRST. I didn't forget that announcement- at the beginning of sophomore year, I sought after the robotics team right away. I wanted to know what it was about. Despite it overlapping with my dance classes, I joined the team, and ended up participating in Avon Day just two days later. It was overwhelming... this giant robot that could stretch up to at least three times my height, built in six weeks by a bunch of high school kids? When I found that out, I began doubting whether robotics was really for me. I didn't think I was smart enough or clever enough for it. There was no way I could ever build a robot from scratch, let alone in six weeks. Seriously, who are you kidding, I was no MIT engineer back then. Yes, confidence is also something I was lacking, but robotics helped me to build.

In retrospect, I'm so glad I stuck with it for a few more meetings. In just a few short weeks, we went to Bash @ the Beach. I can remember going into AHS at 5 am, because they had to pack still. Essentially, the plan was to walk into the room and throw everything in sight into a bunch of plastic crates. I couldn't let it happen that way, and put the supplies into boxes by categories, and packed it in nicely. I think I carried 80% of the boxes out to the bus, as well. I think that's when the robotics team decided they wanted me to stick around. I wasn't quite sure yet. We showed up to the competition, and much to my surprise there was no sand, at all. It was inside a school gym, but this was not what a gym ordinarily felt like. You could feel the excitement in the air, or perhaps it was just the booming music in the background, the tune to which hundreds of high school students (the kind you don't normally see in the gym) were running around with more robots, about a giant field in the middle full of PVC tetrahedrons, and dozens 10x10 pits set up around the perimeter. I think that's the moment I fell in love with FIRST. I could tell it fit, and this is where I wanted to be, even though I pretty much had no idea what was going on. That's when another magic moment happened- Mr. Kasner asked if anyone would be interested in going on "the field". I gathered up just enough courage to ask about what the different positions were, and I decided coach and human player sounded reasonably interesting. I took a leap of faith and signed myself up. Keith handed me "The Game" section of the manual, and I read through it, trying to picture what a match would look like.

Coaching my first match was an interesting experience. I was standing behind two students who were both older than me, people that I did not know at all... telling them what to do, when I had only discovered what a competition was, and how the game was played five minutes ago. Talk about scary. And did I mention, I was the only girl with the team at the competition? I was outnumbered in every sense. Amazingly, I had actually caught on to some of the strategy, and we won both of the matches I coached. It was exhilarating. Later on in the day, a news reporter came up to me with a tape recorder, asking if he could interview me about the team. I tried to pass him off to another student, insisting I had just joined the team and couldn't help him out, but he told me it was ok, he wanted to talk to me. It made me realize how much I had absorbed over the course of the day- I described the game to him, I knew we were defending champions, that the team name was ÜberBots, we were sponsored by UTC Chubb, and the robot was affectionately named the ChubbBot. This day alone shaped me a lot.

Because of this, I stuck with robotics, helping with various projects, including reorganizing the room, until the new season began. I started to form bonds with people who would become some of my best friends. I learned lessons about engineering and life from the mentors. By the time the 2006 season had begun, I think our team had worked a large part of its magic on me. I was willing to talk to adults (who were very, very scary just a few months before), had opened myself up to new friendships, had gained confidence in myself, and had put myself to work as a leader and innovator in organization. I felt like I really had a part in everything. After Kickoff, I devoured the rules. Coaching in the off-season had shown me how much I love the strategy behind everything. I'm not sure if memorizing the manual gives anyone more joy than I. It felt right when I essentially began to live in the shop after Kickoff. The team was really my new family (hence why it's not just about building a robot, it's about building a team). This is one of the many reasons I love the ÜberBots so much- it is like a giant support network of people who know you and love you, and have a variety of skills- everyone is there to help you with everything.

By May 2006, when we had returned from Atlanta, I had enough confidence and inspiration that I was ready to organize and pioneer my own event- the premiere of the robodemo. Demonstrations are one of the things that have brought me the most happiness out of all of my experiences on team 1124. Watching the faces of an audience full of children as you demonstrate your robot is probably the greatest feeling in the world. You look at their eyes light up, their glowing smiles, and you realize that perhaps you have just inspired them to do something great. You just might have made a difference in their lives. Nothing feels better than passing on the inspiration that you know you have felt already. This is what I did with a lot of the rest of my time on the team. When people say your second year in FIRST is your first year as a mentor, it's absolutely true. I spent good parts of the 2007 and 2008 seasons passing on lessons I had learned to other students, as well as helping develop new community outreach programs to promote the visions of the ÜberBots and FIRST. Even with what I had already gotten out of the program, I continued to recognize more instances of my own inspiration and growth, which I shall withhold for reasons of space. The truly magical thing, though, was watching everyone else grow up around me- the new students, and those I had already been around for a year or two, younger siblings who hung around, children who had been to demonstrations and came to other events to see more of us.

I owe a lot to the ÜberBots, and to FIRST Robotics as a whole, for helping me to find myself, to develop my character, to expand upon my values, to give me new abilities, and to show me the power of technology, and of inspiration. It is because of my experiences on the robotics team that I am who I am today, and that I am where I am today. Our robotics team is incredibly valuable, and has made as much of a difference to many other people as it has to me. My hope is that it will continue to flourish, spreading its influence and its impact further throughout our community. The reason why I am still here, despite having graduated from high school in June, is because of this. I may still be young, perhaps even still naive in a sense, but I do know one thing for sure- I want to share the inspiration I have seen with others.

Thank you, ÜberBots, for being there for me. I will be here for you for a very long time.

[katd30]

When I was a freshman some teachers at our school were approached to start a FIRST team. I had already become a favorite student of their's through a different competition, Science Olympiad. One of them asked me to join and I thought it would be cool to go to a few meetings and see what it was about. I also thought it would be cool to build a robot. Then my dad got involved and I stuck with it through the first year cause of him and I liked getting the chance to organize events and boss people around. So now, as a sophomore I love FIRST. I'm one of 2 student leaders and I get to boss people around e en more!

[sydney_1547]

i went to one of my brothers competition and everyone there seemed to be having so much fun.
he had done it for 3 years and the next year i got the chance to compete against him when i went into grade 9. i joined the team and made sooo many friends i just never want to quit now. i always say i want to quit during the build season then i get to the competitions and have so much fun that i forget all about quitting! :)
so basically i got started because of my brother.

[FIRSTgirl675]

For most of my life I enjoyed the field of science. When I decided to join my school's robotics team, I went in not knowing what part of the team I wanted to be on or really even why I was joining. I think it was because it seemed like something fun that I could do while making new friends.

When I joined, I was interested in programming, but my friends were able to convince me to go into manufacturing. Today, I still don't understand programming, none of the friends that got me into manufacturing are on the team (at all), and I am one of two girls in manufacturing.

I stay because of everything; the people, the stress, the adrenaline rush you get when your out each match screaming for your team.

Some of the great things I see about FIRST are always mentioned by everyone. We are the future of science and technology, it gives us a challenge that has deadlines, and it gives girls an opportunity to do things in a field that is male dominated without feeling overtaken. They are just as important as the men.

[Siri]

Same reason the guys did, I suppose, it's ridiculously fun..ahem, I mean it's a learning fantastic opportunity.
Personally, I found my school team sophomore year (we didn't have much advertising then) through a marching band friend. Little did I know I'd spend the next three years growing more and more obsessed with the organization and end up spending upwards of 20 hours per week (30-40 during build) working on and managing that team! (Ok, so there are less-than ridiculously fun times now, welcome to life.) Then again, our albiet small team is more girls than guys (member schools are all co-ed).

[kjolana1124]

I actually can't really say why I joined. When I first came to high school, I knew math and science were not my strong suits. I was taking Algebra I as a freshmen. I had some interest in theme park design and stuff like that because I liked Disney, but that's really it. I had a slight interest in math and science sure, but I didn't think I was smart enough to actually make a career out of it. My parents always told me my skills lied more in the liberal arts, so I went with that.

However, even so, I always thought robots were kind of cool. So when I went to my sister's high school orientation (me being rather shy and kept back, seeing as we had just moved to Avon, so I knew no one) and saw the robotics team talk about what they did (right after the principal almost killed my mom with a dogeball...) I fell in love. I knew it was an awesome program, and possibly a way to learn more. I was still a bit unsure about it though, seeing as I was never math and science prone and had little mechanical background besides a little building with my dad.

That being said, when I heard about the first meeting for Avon High School's robotics team, I knew that I wanted to go and at least check it out. After all, it was like all other clubs, right?

Boy did I learn...

From the first meeting, I knew this was going to be intense. I knew a grand total of two kids in the room, and only barely. Everyone else was an upperclassmen who seemed to already know their place. However, that didn't stop them from making me feel welcome. I remember the first meeting very well. We were fixing the 07 bot for Bash (what was wrong I don't know) and they had me working on it right away. Now, it probably wouldn't be a big deal. But that day, it was the world. I remember on the drive home I couldn't shut up about how great it was and how included I felt.

Now, the next meeting I came in with an air of excitement. Especially since I heard a few small conversations of a "Bash at the Beach." Naturally, not only being new to the high school and the program, but semi new to the area as well, the first thing that came to mind was, Beach? In October? Awesome!!

Okay, so it ended up not being a beach. But it was still something I'll never forget. Not only was it my first competition, but my unnecessary amounts of dancing and being a bit too hyperactive (which I'm sure team members will agree to) got me a job doing the actual announcing during the game. I messed up a lot, and had next to no idea what was going on, having to learn all the rules as I went along, but that wasn't the point. The point was, I could be myself and get rewarded for it, where most other places I was always told to calm down too much and stuff. Sure, maybe I was a bit over the top. But hey, they seemed to like it.

As preseason wrapped up and build season began, I knew my place. I knew I didn't know nearly as much about math and science and building as the others, so I did community work. It was a lot of fun for sure. And there were some times I helped out with mechanical, but I mostly stuck to community/spirit work. I loved it. I got to be high energy and productive. It must've worked, because we ended up winning the spirit award at Suffield Shakedown. By the time regionals rolled around, I really felt part of a team. Everyone had their place, and so did I. And, as one of our mentors said that Saturday night after we celebrated our victory, we had rhythm. Everyone was like a beat. We all knew when to come in, including me. I felt important. You don't get that out of many organizations.

That process continued the rest of my freshman year. However, by the time sophomore year rolled around, I wanted change. I've wanted to drive the robot since my freshman year (who doesn't want to drive, let's be honest). And, since I got a chance to drive at Wolcott, I figured I may have a shot. Not as first string driver one, but if I kept at it and kept my interest, I'd surely be driving by my junior or senior year. So I worked on mechanical. Well, that wasn't the only reason I switched the mechanical. I wanted to actually build the robot. That's what I wanted to do when I saw it in eighth grade, and that idea was always in the back of my mind. I just never thought I'd be good enough to help with the actual build and design. However, entering my sophomore year, I grew more confident with my abilities. I knew I knew how to use tools, and I wanted to show the rest of my team. So I did.

By the time build season started for Lunacy, I was no longer Kelsey the hyperactive spirit girl. I was Kelsey, the confident team member who could build and fix things and work with the community side. I was really comfortable with were I was. I was even heading the Chairman's video. But that was only the first two weeks or so. When actual building began and me and the others were working and testing, I learned quickly one thing I was not very good at: driving. Driving the chassis for Overdrive was one thing. However, with the new flooring and the new set of rules for what a driver needed to do, I learned right away that it wasn't my strong point. However, as the building progressed, I grew an interest in the second driver position.

At this point last year, I probably wouldn't have said anything. I knew my place, and I didn't think I was good enough to drive. However, working on my FIRST team taught me to be confident with myself, and confident enough to let my mentor know that I wanted to drive. Well, he listened. Because I began testing and working. And sure enough, come February 14th, I was the driver two for our team. I also drove at regionals.

I didn't have a perfect performance. While there a lot of factors that play into that, I was able to look back and say, "I did my best, and I learned." Something I probably wouldn't have been able to do last year, but last year I wasn't as strong and comfortable with myself. Not Atlanta is coming closer, and I know my place. I'm no longer the spirit girl. While I'm still going to have a lot of spirit (because it's not fun otherwise :P), there's so much more to take advantage of that I'll be sure to do this year.

Well, that's my story. I joined because I thought robots were cool, and now I want to become an animatronic engineer. For real this time, not just because I still love Disney- but because I love working with robots, solving problems using logic, and everything about engineering. I also found a confidence in myself I wouldn't be able to have otherwise. So, that's why I joined.

[briarrose]

I joined this year as a sophomore, as a distraction (I’m a dancer, and I broke sprained my ankle for the third time in one year). My original plan was to join then quit when I started dancing again, but then I got hooked.

This year I've learned its ok to be smart, and show it. I know love science and technology. I've completely changed this year; I value brains over beauty now, and look forward to a career in mechanical enginering.:D

[ebarker]

Our team had a ballet dancer that joined a couple of years ago.

Today...she is a mechanical engineering major at Georgia Tech.

BTW, she still dances ballet, when not doing thermo homework.

[onecoolc]

I joined a few years ago because my sister was in it, and it looked fun. I've always been interested in technology and programming. Most of my experience had been in web design, so I was eager to try something new, and it was just sort of fun.

Then, this year, when my web design teacher realized I had been in FIRST Robotics in the past, he literally took me by the arm and dragged me down to the Robotics teacher and told him, "She's joining." It wasn't even a question, more of a statement of fact. xD

I would never regret it, though. I love FIRST, both FRC and FTC, and I'm definitely better off for joining. It's been amazing getting to meet these people and build a team. The competitions have a sort of energy of their own, and I live of of it.

I still have a lot to learn, and can't wait to learn it.