A farewell to the place I called home
 

That was part of my college application essay used before graduated high school at 2000. Looking back at it, I am amazed by how young I was 5 years ago, almost ready to leave the safety of Gunn High School to face the rest of the world for the first time. I had absolutely no idea what was coming; I had my goals, my dreams, and a very sketchy plan on accomplishing them; I was frightened, excited, and nervous about my future. This is exactly the way I am feeling right now, only, the setting is different, and I am almost ready to leave the safety of FIRST to face the rest of the world for the first time…


I still remember my first message on the Chief Delphi Forum, one of the “rookie-est” post I’ve ever written. Thanks to a group of very tolerant, articulate group of FIRST mentors, I was inspired about the usage of English language, and been changed ever since. If build period and competitions was the “doing” and “inspiring” part, then the Chief Delphi Forum would be the “thinking” part. The same group of mentors taught me how to think, argue, understand, and learn from others. The inspiration and education I got from this forum was critical in many ways. It opened more doors and paths than build period and competition could ever open; it built a foundation that could only be built through a series of meaningful, meticulous mental exercise, in other words, long, painful posts like this ;-).

The more I work with FIRST and this community, the more sleep I lost ;-), and the more I understand what inspiration and education really means. Imagine life as an intricate series of doors and pathways. Without Inspiration, many doors maybe closed to you; without Education, many paths may end very quickly. When you inspire someone, you are opening doors they haven’t noticed in the first place; when you educate someone, you lead them further down paths of life than they could have otherwise. The more doors you open and paths you walk, the more possibilities you bring for your future, and the stronger foundation you build for that future. The reason this program is so important, and why I love it so much, is that it is great at doing both things. Inspiration and education will not work well without each other. You can inspire someone, but without developing their interest, they may not go very far with that inspiration. Similarly, you can educate someone, but without inspiring them, they may not do much with that education.


We are very fortunate to have this program and this community to open doors and lead us through the paths of life ahead of us. We stand on shoulders of giants who work very hard to give us what we have today. Role models like Joe Johnson, Dave Lavery, and Andy Baker showed us just how cool human beings can be. They taught us the necessary knowledge to help us grow, they gave us incredible challenges to push our limits, and they raised the bar for us to reach higher and higher. I consider myself very lucky to have the chance to learn from their philosophies and experiences. After all, what are the chances of a Chinese kid from the other side of the globe getting to do all these cool stuff with a bunch of loud and crazy caffeine addicted, donut-loving, rock band singers who are supposed to educate and inspire our future generation? (lol :D)

Seriously though, if there’s one thing I learn from these people (besides learning to think), it’s that being different doesn’t mean you are wrong or inferior. On the surface, we may appear to be very different people, separate by our race, gender, culture, interest, profession, and reputation points ;-). But deep inside, we are all capable thinking beings, which perceives, understands, and solve problems. From day one we learn to form theories of our reality, and continue to test these theories with new data everyday. That is how we understand. We may have different theories from different experiences, but our minds work the same way. We are different in the surface, but we are the same deep inside. We also learn to use this understanding to solve problems. That is how we adjust to and change the world around us. We may encounter different set of problems, but our thoughts work the same way. We are different in the surface, but we are the same deep inside.

I am very fortunate to have the chance to work with a variety of people, many of them parents, teachers, engineers, scientists, lawyers, educators, administrators, philosophers, writers, musicians, historians, artists, and so on. The more I work with them, the more I appreciate, respect, and admire each of them. Each profession represents a major part of our society, and significant in the development of humanity’s civilization. To automatically disregard them based on stereotypes and rushed judgments is to be narrow-minded and near-sighted. I hope all of you will learn, just as I did, to appreciate and understand what each of them mean to our lives and our world. What’s more important is that each profession represents a branch of our collective understanding of our world and universe, the profession being the ones who apply and practice this understanding to adjust to and change the world around us. The more branches we have, the broader our horizon is, and the better we understand ourselves and this world. As a whole, that represents all of our progress, accomplishments, and successes as a species. We are different in the surface, but we are the same deep inside, and that collective understanding represent who we were, who we are, and who we will be.


I am writing this message today to tell you that after careful, lengthy considerations of my life and my future (some of the thoughts you’ve read in this message), I’ve decided to take leave from this place I’ve call home since high school. FIRST has opened my eyes to possibilities I’ve never even dreamed of, and now it is time to explore those dreams, open new doors and walk unknown paths ahead of me. In some ways I am envious of the rookies who are just discovering all the adventures FIRST Robotics has to offer. In other ways I am very excited of the unknown ahead of me. It has become my goal and passion to explore as many branches of knowledge and experience as many adventures as possible from this point on. I may not be able to absorb all the data out there, but I hope to see a glimpse of the formulas/models that represent them. It is my wish that my passion to learn new things and explore unknown territory will never die. I hope I never stop learning, and I hope to be young at heart no matter what happens, and the doors and paths will remain opened the rest of my life.

Unfortunately (and fortunately for you poor readers out there who made it this far) this will be the last thread I post in the Chief Delphi Forum for a very long time. I love posting on this message board with the rest of you, but there’s just no time and room for it in my future. I know I’ve been threatening and bluffing for years to quit FIRST and CD forum, but I am finally saying goodbyes and wish my very best wishes for the rest of you (sorry I couldn’t just say that at the beginning ;-) ). This has been an incredible adventure, but there’s an old Chinese saying that said, “There’s no gathering in this world that will last forever.”

You’ve now just finished building period a week ago, with the first week of regionals less than 3 days away. You just went through the hard work of building your robot, working with your team, and learning from your mentors. Now is the time for the inspiration part. Be prepared to go to competition and open your eyes to the rest of the community. Be prepared to expect the unexpected, and most important of all, open your mind as much as possible so you can take advantage of all the new ideas and new concepts you are not familiar with, even though some may scare you and go against your own believes. This is the time to take advantage of all the people you are going to meet at competition, and have some serious fun! I wish all of you good luck at the coming competitions, as I won’t be able to make any of them this year. Have tons of fun, do your best to win, and be prepared for the roller coaster ride of your life!


I hope when I am off to face the world I can carry the title of “FIRST-a-holic” proudly and maintain the prestige and reputation that comes with it. When you boil it down, the name “FIRST-a-holic” represents our passion for changing the world, our energy for difficult challenges, and our bravery in facing unknowns. That is who we were, who we are, and who we will be.

From this point on, I have absolutely no idea what is coming; I have my goals, my dreams, and a very sketchy plan to accomplish them; I am frightened, excited, and nervous about my future. I wouldn’t trade this for anything in this world ;-).

-Ken Leung

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

I'm stunned. Best of luck, Ken. You're very well-respected around these parts, and I know you'll be missed.

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken, I will not miss your long posts. I will however miss your insight and the ability to express your thoughts. You will be missed but not forgotten. Please come back and give some updates on your adventures.

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Take care Ken. I know you'll accomplish everything you set out to do.

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Namaste Ken.
Good luck.
Please update us on your journey.

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Good Luck Ken: I'll miss you, your insight, and your dancing (always remember Atlanta 2004!).

Could we at least get a monthly update? :)

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

I second that, and come back when your kids hit Lego League :D

I have a collection of stories I use to explain the impact of FIRST. One is about a shy kid from another country who could barely speak English and then went on to start a major off-season competition. Nobody you know right? :D

I have enjoyed watching you get better and better at expressing your thoughts. We have to pay as much attention to the "why" as to the "how". You have a gift for maintaining that focus.

But time marches on and we have different concerns and phases of our lives. Enjoy them while you are in them and cherish the memories when they are gone. CS Lewis' Hrossa in Out of the Silent Planet have the right idea. (I just had to bring in a great book). Obviously for you the time has come to move on. It happens to all of us sooner or later.

BTW if you're looking for a job Northrop Grumman is hiring.

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Best Wishes Ken, we'll miss you!! :(

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken, it won't be the same without you.

You talk of Andy Baker, Joe Johsnon, et al. You are just as much a role model as any of them to us. Having you on my team as a mentor in 2002 was on of the best parts of my FIRST career. I learned many, many things about FIRST that year, including what it was really all about. You're much better at conveying thoughts than me, so I'm just going to leave it at that :)

Good luck Ken, I'm proud to say that I know you.

Cory

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Godspeed and good luck Ken!

I dont have to wish you sucess because everyone knows you will achieve it. :)

-D.J.

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Best of luck, Ken.

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Hey Ken,
April first isn't for another month! This is a joke right?


Assuming I'm wrong about the joke thing! Ken, best of luck to you. To quote a friend's signature.."Shoot for the moon... Even if you miss you'll be amoung the stars!" Ken, I'm sure you will do great at whatever comes your way! Remember have fun while you're doing it!

Do drop us a note now and then to let us know how it's going.

Gene

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

I’ve got too many great Ken Leung related memories to possibly share on ChiefDelphi. You’re most definitely the nicest, wittiest, most intelligent, most descriptive, and most energetic person I know. You’re also the greatest spokesperson against the “politics” that has been eroding the overall FIRST experience and has been spreading slowly, but surely since we first met (and most likely before, as well). No matter how painful the subject matter is, I have enjoyed our talks on the frustration we both feel towards the blatant cheating, the infighting, the two-facedness, and the plain old lying in the FIRST community. There should be something above UFH, so that we can adequately honor you.

In any case, I hope you’ve found a path for yourself (or at least the first few steps of one) that you’ll be happy with, and will allow you the freedom to come back to FIRST if you wish. You may be out of FIRST, but you’re still in the area… So how about going to Original Joe’s sometime in the not too distant future, eh? Talk to you on AIM, dude.

-Bill

PS - Steve may not miss your long posts, but I sure will :)

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

As a rookie on 03 I did not know what to expect about FIRST, once I got in to these forums and started to read some of the long posts and such I learned what FIRST is all about, not just the great experiences from my team but from all over the FIRST community,

Ken, some of your posts have made the way I think about things change it a positive way, I will miss that.

Best of luck to you in your life's journeys.

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Good luck!!! I feel sad that you won't be typing long messages to us. It's be great to hear your wisdom. There are many great people in this community and you are one of them.
you are right about that Chinese saying...we wish some moments and things will last forever but unfortunately they don't. but each new journey brings it's great memories and i know you'll have them and achieve.
we all know you'll be back b/c you can never leave FIRST too long...it just can't happen...FIRST is so close to many of our hearts.

this is ironic that i'm right now typing an artist statment on people and growing up and changing. each step we take helps us grow. but all is well...good luck with everything!!!

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken, you are one of the most sincere, emotive and thoughtful people I've ever met -- not simply within the FIRST community, but anywhere. You will educate and inspire where ever your journey takes you and all along the paths to that destination.

Your departure is not a loss for FIRST, but among the best accomplishments FIRST might ever claim for infusing our culture with gracious professionalism, class, and honor. Good luck!

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Have fun Ken, and rock on!

-Joe Matt

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken, Good luck. I hope you achieve great success in life. I will definitely miss your enthusiastic posts, but I guess if I get bored I will just look back into few of your older threads. You are most definitely one of the most humblest of all FIRSTers I have known.
-Bharat

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken,

I have appreciated every conversation with you. You and your posts on here have been one of my greatest teachers over the years. Best of luck-- we're all behind you 100%.

Amanda

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken,

I am only known you for a few days. But during the time I have known you, I realized that you are one of the very good advisor, also a great contributor to this forum and FIRST. I wish you my best luck to your journey. We all know that you will succeed. Keep in touch with us. We will miss you :(

-Arefin.

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

I want to thank you Ken, for the wonderful contributions you have made to FIRST and this forum. You have set an incredible example to those around you and within the FIRST community. I have been inspired by the eloquence of your writing and your thought, and it has encouraged me to think “beyond the competition”.

Many people join FIRST, go through all the motions of building a competition robot, and then leave it at that. Many do not take FIRST further than what they know it as in the concrete: simply a robotics competition. It is the rarest of individuals who, upon entering a new world of experiences (such as FIRST), will attempt to fully comprehend what the true meaning of that experience is. They recognize what the “big picture” is, and think beyond the realm of their own world.

In FIRST, this means recognizing and broadening the definitions of the objectives of the organization itself. It means striving to help FIRST do its job even better. It means striving to bring inspiration to students and mentors alike. It means teaching others about gracious professionalism - in an effort to enlighten FIRSTers, and consequently society, about the nature of human progress. Ken Leung has done all of these things, in an effort to bring this message of awareness to the rest of the FIRST community.

Ken, I congratulate you on taking what you have gotten out of FIRST into the real world. This is an example that other people within FIRST need to emulate.
To everyone - Follow Ken's example. Take the wonderful experiences that you have had, take the wonderful lessons you have learned, and use them to inspire others and change the world. By doing this, you are fulfilling the real aim of FIRST – initiating positive change in a society that is darkened by greed, anger and hatred.

Thank you,
Jaine

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

It's not my place to write a long, emotional post; I don't know you nearly as well as some of the others in this thread do.

With that said, Ken, thanks for all that you've done. Even the work you've done in policing these forums - the only real contact I've had with you - would merit recognition from the users here, but you've done much, much more than that. The work you've put into FIRST has given people memories, happy ones, and that's one of the single best things you can do with your time on this planet.

Good luck with the next phase of your life, and remember that we'd be more than willing to welcome you back if you ever choose to return. :)

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

All i really feel the need to say to you Ken is, Thanks and Good luck, because those pretty much explain everything i feel after reading this.

Rock on good sir, rock on...

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken, what can i say. You have not only personally inspired me but countless others to continue and forward their work in FIRST and their everyday lives. From the day i met you at IRI in 03 to the other countless memories, you have always and will always have a positive impact on me and inspire me to reach for the stars. You are always welcome to any FIRST event and hopefully you will keep in touch with us, even if its just saying Hi on line. You can achieve anything you put your mind to and will reach great heights with all of you future choices.

Godspeed, Good Luck and Thank You for Everything!
Michael Dessingue

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken, I loved what you wrote. Here I am, about to embark on a journey of my own, college, and after reading what you had say. I just realized how foturnated I was to be involved in FIRST. The inspiration really opened up many of the doors of opportunity that lay before me.

Best of luck in your future endeavors. Hope that you'll come back and visit. :)

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Good luck Ken, we will miss you. Your post reminds us all that we are so lucky to have FIRST. I had felt "burned out" after the long build season but now after reading your post I feel refreshed and inspired. Thank you so much for your dedication to CD and to FIRST. Good luck on your future endeavors, I am sure that you will be successful in whatever you do.


GO 1403!!!

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken,
On behalf of ChiefDelphi, our website just won't be the same without you. Team 47 and I really truely appreciate the hard work and sense of reason that you have brought into the website. You have made this a home for yourself and we can proudly say, Thankyou for everything that you have done.
Best of Luck in whatever and wherever your dreams take you, Take care of yourself and please don't stop spreading the great story of FIRST.
As I told my friend Joe Johnson, just because you aren't around as much doesn't mean that you can just close the book on this chapter, instead - just keep a book marker in this place, so you can remember how to find your way back home - when the time is right.
Thanks again for everything,
Mike Aubry

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken,
In my business the phrase "never say never" are words to live by. People never truly leave what they love, they just take extended trips away. I have enjoyed our discussions and look forward to those in the future. I hope to see you again, remember you can always ask me anything.
I don't remember who said it or what the words are exactly...(I think it was Hopalong Cassidy) Don't say goodbye, just say see you later.

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken -

When asked about some of the best "success stories" of FIRST, there are many, many examples from which to choose. But it always seems that a handful of a half-dozen or so just naturally rise to the top. Those are the ones that represent the best and the brightest of the "FIRST graduates," those that have not only learned from their experiences with FIRST, but have gone well beyond that to seek knowledge and wisdom for its' own sake, and then learn to pass that quest on to others. You have clearly become one of those individuals, and we are all better for our time spent with you (either virtually here on CD, or driving through downtown L.A. in a Mustang convertable with Ashlee S.). Thank you for ketting us have a chance to peer into your experiences and your growth as a student, as a citizen, and as a person. Your presence will be missed, but your insights will persist and make a difference for a very, very long time.

-dave

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Thanks for the chuckle, Steve.

Ken,

Though this message comes as a shock to all of us, we thank you so much for all your services throughout your many years with FIRST. You were one of the first college FIRSTers I met when I worked the SCRRF Fall Classic at CSUN two years ago. Your dedication to the program, willingness to go anywhere FIRST was to help out, was truly inspiring and what, in part, made me stay with FIRST and expand on what I have done within the program. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors and I hope to meet you again in person someday when you have a chance to return to FIRST. Good luck and godspeed.

From one FIRST-a-holic to another,
Thanks.

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken,

I'm very glad I was able to share some time with you in 2003 durring the San Jose and LA regionals. In addition to being dedicated to your work, you have fun too. I'll never forget you beating Dave with that noisemaker. :D

Fair winds and following seas on your journy Ken, you have the ability to do what you want. (I second the motion to come back when your kids hit Lego League.)


Wetzel

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Good luck in all you do

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

I second that.

These forums wouldn't be as great without all of your help.

I think every time I've seen a thread you've started in the 'Forum Help / Comments / Suggestions', I've immediately thought "Doh, why didn't I think of that?" or "There's that Ken .. always striving to make this a better place."

Thank you.

We'll miss you.

(You'll be back. haha)

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken,

It has been great getting to know you over the past years. You will surely be missed on these forums, but we all know that you will make a big impact with your future endeavors. Thanks for being a friend, and please stay in touch.

Andy B.

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken,

Just the best of luck to you. You have been a great help to these forums. You will be missed, but yet you are taking on a bigger challenge then what FIRST could ever throw at you and that is life. Good Luck to you and your future

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken,
I'm so glad I've had the oppurtunity to get to work with you over the past few years. You've been a great inspiration, role model, and friend to many of us. Good luck with everything you do in the future. We'll always be there with you in your heart.

-Mike Walker

See ya later!
 

Thank you everyone, thank you for your support.

I guess I just got beaten at my own game… For one of the longest post I’ve ever written, you guys responded with the largest amount of replies I’ve ever seen. Thank you. I want to respond to all replies, but that’s going to generate another long message, so instead I will thank you individually.

I’ve written numerous posts in this forum, among the masses are serious debates and long message about GP/FIRST, questions of the week, forum newsletter, “Remember that thread?”, forum comments/suggestions, and so on. They are not the best things in the world, but I am proud to say that each contains a little bit of me in there, and if you really know me, you would know I am not a very open person. I hope some of you got to see the impact FIRST and Chief Delphi Forum have on a random teenager. This thread is my final report for my FIRST experience, with all the evidence presented through out this forum and its archive. I don’t expect anyone to finish reading the longer messages, as I’ve said, they are there because the writing experiences are very fulfilling, but I hope that someday, you too, will discover the joy of writing and communicating and decide to write your own long CD forum messages.

If you ask the Chinese teenager who just signed up for robotics, he would never be able to tell you this is what he will be doing 6 years later. Funny how things work out in life. There seems to be order and design in the randomness and chaos out there. Maybe one day I will figure out the Question to the Ultimate answer to Life, the Universe and everything, but for now, I am willing to be one of the tiny dots in this universe riding on the great wave of life. Some day, some where, I promise to come back and fight with you guys once again to change the culture and make this a better world!

Many of you asked me to keep you guys updated. I would love to do that. The best way to contact me would be to e-mail through my Chief Delphi Forum profile, I will make sure the e-mail address is updated. Otherwise, you can e-mail me your e-mail address to wheres_kenny at hotmail.com and I will bug you every once in a while (I swear I didn’t just make that address up yesterday!).

Oh look, this just turned into another long message ;-). This is it then (for now anyway ;-) ).

See ya later!
Ken L.

Re: See ya later!
 

good luck ken....once you've dealt with the stress of FIRST everything else is easy so I know you'll be successful in whatever you do.....gl bossman


btw you can't escape FIRST somewhere down the line you'll be back, ask Mr. Fluck he tried to escape a few times before it is like the borg or something....

Re: See ya later!
 

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken,

It was cool to see you at sacramento. i knew you would come back sooner or later. apparently it was sooner.

good luck on your "12-step program" for quiting your constant involvement in FIRST. I know you will take what you have learned and apply it in your future.

Thanks for all you have done for robotics out here on the West Coast.

Matt Durstenfeld
on behalf of Team 254

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken--

I've known of you only through your occasional responses. You have, however, always left me impressed with your knowledge, thought, and gracious professionalism.

Your absence from CD will be a noticeable loss.

Take care.

--Petey

Re: A farewell to the place I called home
 

Ken,

I'll miss you. Good luck in all your future endeavors, but knowing you, you don't need luck. I know you'll succeed in whatever you do.

~Christina