[Alexander McGee]

Well, I would have to say that Truck Town is run quite unusually. For all of you out there who don’t know how an out of school team works, we have to apply for this team. Each year, there are about 50 new people who apply, and 10 re-apply from the previous year. The application consists of questions used in interviews for GM employees. After an interview, application, and proposal are completed, our advisors decide who will be on the team, and there decision is approved by consensus of the Head advisory board.

Having said all this, it would appear that our team is in fact, a sect of GM its' self, and is a business. This is very true. We at Truck Town conduct ourselves in a responsible manner whenever needs be. We meet in GM's Truck Design headquarters on Pontiac Michigan, where we have our own crib with out tools, materials, computers, office supplies, robot components; basically all the things needed to run a high caliber team. Whatever we do not have in our crib, we go find it in the mockup portion of GM. We also have a full sized playing field for practice. Many people have heard that we build 2 robots, so we have one to practice with, we used this robot to start our division of Lady Thunder; an unprecedented thing in the world of F.I.R.S.T.

However, this team could not function as anything less than a family. It’s hard to believe that a team of 20 students from 11 different schools could work together so well with a small group of parental and GM advisors. We come together each year before the season starts during our fund raising.

Each returning member of the team must mentor a Lego team with another student, present a robot demonstration at a local elementary school, raise money in a fund raiser, provide community service hours, and work events at Ford Field. I am very proud to say that our team does an incredible amount of fund raising, and have earned enough this year to attend 3 regional events, as well as nationals. We will be attending the Arizona, Midwest, and Great Lakes regionals.

The students on this team couldn’t be better friends. We hang out on the weekends, play paintball, watch movies, and help each other with our homework; basically everything a team of 10 guys and 10 girls can do! We all know and love each other as a family, and are willing to do a favor for another team member at any instance.

I would personally like to thank every past and present person who has been involved with Truck Town Robotics. You have truly changed my life and given me experience and knowledge and friendship that I will never lose.

Very Sincerely,

Alexander Steven McGee