[Joe Matt]

Originally Posted by Jacqui Sutton

I'm calling on anyone who has any interest in making FIRST even more international than it is now, everyone who has even the vaguest idea how to start a team, or any advice at all on this matter.

Last year I was a Senior at grundy high school, in Virginia, USA, and was fortunate enough to be a part of team 388. After graduation, I moved back to my home, in Melbourne, Australia. It's been a dream of mine to start a team here, and now that I've had time to settle back in here and get on my feet, I want to make that dream into a reality. I want to be back at a regional competition, and I want to hear the MC call out that the 'wombot' is about to go into competition. Most of all, I long to give others a chance to experience what I did with FIRST, to give people from my home town that opportunity, because FIRST really is that once in a lifetime opportunity that so many people dont get a chance to be a part of. It shouldnt be that way.

I've done some investigating, I have some ideas of what companies i think would make good sponsors. I havent applied for sponsorship as yet though, because I dont know whether it would be best to start with the sponsors, or first find a school, or a couple of schools to host the team. Whichever I approach first, they are going to want to see support from the other - basically, what I'm wanting to know here is, where do i start? What do i need to do to make this happen?

I want to get this under way now, like ASAP, because in a month's time I'm about to be launched into first year med school, and I dont know how I will manage to juggle the two, but I at least want to have a foundation for this off the ground before I get into that. I'm willing to work as hard as it takes to make this happen, I just dont know where to start, and I dont want to start in the wrong place because I dont want to leave a bad first impression.

Any advice, anything at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time...here's hoping the aussies will join you all in the near future.

Well, since we are good friends of Grundy being at Sparky and all, I want to say that I'm personally 100% behind you. I would love to help you as much as possable. Now, I need to talk to my team head, but if you need anything, I think I might be able to help you.