Well this is a long story, so sit back and put your feet up...Along time ago...in a galaxy far away, oops that is another story.
My dad was mechanic and sometimes worked out of our garage or a service station (that is a gas station with a garage attached) close to the house. When I was five, he would bring carburetors home and I would disassemble them if I could get the screws loose. (I was big for my age!) Later, I picked up the piano and I liked that, it made my mom happy. I started doing all kinds of things, building models and playing with radios, fixing the neighborhood bikes and working with my dad. Somewhere in there my dad turned to me one day and told me if I ever became a mechanic he would break my fingers. (He claims he never did, but that's the way I heard it.) So I could give up mechanical, keep playing the piano and pick something else. Well, I had always been good at fixing things and like many schools, there was lot's to fix. I moved from working on instruments, projectors, an organ and copy machines to being asked to join the TV club. (I found out later that was because I knew how to solder and had access to a soldering gun.) As I searched for career ideas, a lot of people told me that my math was bad, my grades were low, I would never get into a good school, etc. But I was stubborn and didn't listen to any of them. I liked electronics and thought I would try and find something there. In 1969 there was no Internet to search, and finding anything is a library was tough. I asked the counseling office at school if there were anyway someone could help get info on electronics schools. One counselor I had not met overheard my request, gave me a test to help me decide what I liked, and told me of a new curriculum starting up called Electronic Engineering Technology at Bradley University. It sounded cool, Bradley accepted me, (even tough I had blown the ACT) and off I went to be an engineer. I worked my way through school at the TV station and when I graduated, another counselor suggested I try TV instead of manufacturing. (I had not received any offers after 60 resumes and tons of interviews.) Thanks to him, I became a Broadcast Engineer and went to work for Public TV in Chicago where I help make lot's of people happy.
So you see, it was not a single thing got me here, but a lot of little pushes, bumps really, from a variety of people. If I had not allowed myself to move in one direction or moved to far in another, I would not be here today. It just happened, I am in job I love, and I never regret a day of it.
Now you want to hear something really weird, my high school is St. Patrick of Chicago, aka Striker, Team 101. And yes, I cheer for them as much as for Wildstang, we help them when we can, and this year at Midwest they beat us once and made it into the finals as one of the captains.
Ok, moral of the story, sometimes you have to listen to a lot of bad advice before you get some good stuff. Don't listen to someone who says you can't do something, decide for yourself. It is important to find something you can be happy in because then it doesn't seem like work and someone will pay you to do it.

I was obsessive about legos as a child. I used to build lots of different kinds of vehicles. I not sure if I will become an engineer or not. A year ago I thought I would be going into a music Major, now i may be leaning more towards Engineering. FIRST has changed my idea.

i have been into mechanical things all my life. taking apart, putting back together. my go cart was awsome, but i think robotics is more worthwhile.

I wanted to be a doctor until about 7th grade when i found out about engineering from my dad(the engineer). then i wanted to be a materials engineer. Now however i am looking for the best of both worlds. Biomedical Engineering.