[popnbrown]

I felt the same way coming into college. I even tried to start a FRC team my first year here, because I knew of the hole FIRST would leave in me.

I'm a junior now, and although my old team's mentors are still around, the team has changed. I simply mean that the students I was once close to are all graduated or about to this year. Regardless, I try to watch every 1403 match, and force anyone around me to watch as well.

However, after working and working on it, I and several great people from this community, have been able to start a new FRC team, and man, it's a great feeling to mentor and to see students go through the same feeling you went through several years ago.

The sad part is I've come to realize that I'm a junior, and I have one year left year at UofI, meaning that I'll have to pick and leave this team just like I did my old team. But the difference this time, is that I know wherever I go, I will not quit getting everyone around me excited about FIRST or not quit being involved in FIRST.

In my opinion, FIRST is too worth it, to not be involved in.