pic: Raider Robotix circa 1997
 

Re: pic: Raider Robotix circa 1997
 

the fate of those original Raider Robotix kids in the picture-

the kid holding the tube is/was navigator on a nuclear submarine
the guy to his right is an engineer via BYU
the guy to the right of him started up his own medical diagnostic devices company via Cornell
the fuzzy guy in the back is me- now gray and older. I teach Biology
the guy blocking me is a businessman and computer programmer
you all know Shaun at the left- he dedicated much of his life to FIRST robotics and competing with robots
the guy in blue in the center went into the business world
the guy down front to the left moved out of state and we dont know his fate
the guy in front with the glasses is now an engineer with the military and served several tours in the Middle East
the redhead in front went through Carnegie Mellon and is now a robotics engineer
the two girls went on their own path right after this photo- no idea
the guy down front and right with the glasses I believe became a social studies teacher

the female mentor moved to Ohio and helped develop all sorts of national science educational programs. BTW- she was the one who convinced me to form this team

the robot they are surrounding was the Silver Eagle- our first robot. It had a plywood base, ran on drill motors and was essentially useless. We built that robot in a classroom. We all signed the bottom of the base. It taught us a lot.

Why Alexa would post this old picture is a mystery to me. But in all the years the team has been around we have dozens pretty much like it.

WC

Re: pic: Raider Robotix circa 1997
 

Hey, I know some of those guys!

Re: pic: Raider Robotix circa 1997
 

So of 12 students in the picture, only 3 have unknown fates, and the remaining 9 all chose paths at least indirectly related to their involvement in the first Raider Robotix team, making a difference in the world.

Re: pic: Raider Robotix circa 1997
 

I speculate as a tribute to a team that, in 2012, wanted to win on Einstein more than any other team in recent memory, drove themselves hard and, with a little luck along the way, did.

Yeah, you build robots, so what. But you also build students, and that's what it's about!

Oh and that young Shaun, I could just pinch his cheeks!!:p