[JaneYoung]

This is a topic that has made me think for many years. I don't often voice my opinion on it because I haven't figured out how to say what I'm thinking, succinctly and clearly. I'll give it a shot today.

I've sat through many Kickoff and Championship events and listened to the wisdom of Dean, Dr. Flowers, and Dave. I've listened and listened and listened. And, I've met and talked with many of our outstanding mentors in FIRST. When talking with them, I have listened and listened and listened.

One of the main reasons that I've stayed involved as mentor is because of all of that listening and the wisdom that I've gleaned from it. There are many parts of the FIRST philosophy that have to do with hope for our futures. Hope for a very bright future. Hope. When I listen, I'm not hearing that we should only associate with our robotics friends. I'm not hearing that we should just think about the here and now and the pleasures that our skills and talents can create for the here and now. I'm hearing more about leadership development and impact on our world in a positive way via our skills development and implementation. Discovery, adventure, problem-solving applications, and thinking are constants. By being involved in a program like FIRST, it enables all of us to constantly look at the big picture and realize that it is adaptable, able to shrink or enlarge, dependent on our thinking, applications, understanding, awareness, and impact. This big picture concept applies to the FIRST community as a whole, the leadership of the FIRST community, the individuals that make up the FIRST community, and the world that we are impacting.

Realizing that the program revolves around the recruitment, growth, and development of our youth, I understand that many (probably the majority) of the people who move through the program and on into careers, may choose to work within the parameters of a smaller picture rather than challenging/pushing the boundaries of the bigger picture. A gaming community, amateur or professional, serves its purpose just as NASA serves its purpose. The career decisions (via education and goal setting) allow the participants of the FIRST programs to move in the direction they choose towards the purpose they want in their careers and lives.

The 'not having a life' opinion expressed by the theater person, could mean something along the lines of becoming comfortable with the thinking involved as students and as professionals, keeping the picture small.

Jane