[PayneTrain]

The 1am mornings, the metal dust and dirt on my hands and jeans, the weights of wrenches kept in my pocket all day are worth it when you push in the breaker on the field for the first time, and watch your team light up brighter than the robot.

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FIRST is telling your robot that it did a great job (along with your drive team).

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FIRST is when you jump 3 feet in the air and scream at the top of your lungs when the whole picture comes together and the robot plays some mean competition.

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FIRST is when you aren't hungry for anything at lunchtime, except to get back out on the field.

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FIRST has been a chance for me to really rediscover myself. I never knew what I wanted until I walked into a team meeting on a whim. I was thrust into the action of build season, and the experience seems to pay out dividends every day (though my body clock disagrees).