So I am back... yet again... I think FIRST is a Cult, thats why I am here!! JK! Here is my story:
10th grade(1995!): FIRST came to our high school, I always liked science & tech, so a friend of mine and I joined for the 1996 season... (now team 176)
College(1998): Did not want to leave FIRST, so had to find a college with a team... but I thought it would be even better to find a school in which I could start one, and affect even more kids! So I went to Clarkson University, and as the only ex=FIRSTer, I started the team for the 1999 season(team 229). Also volunteered at a bunch of the competitions doing inspections and the like.
Off to Work(2003): I left FIRST behind at Clarkson to take a job at Harris Corporation in Rochester NY, but kicked around the idea of starting up a third team... I gave that up about a month before a Penfield HS parent approached me, her oldest daughter was on the Clarkson team and gotten my name(I think from Eric O'Brien!), her two youngest were still in HS and she wanted to start a team... So I am doing it yet again!!!
Anyways, I guess I needed that little story to expain why I am involved. In HS, I really fell in love with FIRST and its mission. I was inspired to become an electrical engineer myself, but even more, I loved seeing how much it affected others and the excitement behind it, behind something so acheivable (not like becoming a prosports player). So my whole mission on the college team was to see if I could affect just one student as much as I had been affected... just one. Well there were probably at least 10 in the first year!! Now, being asked to start another team, despite all the work it is going to be, I couldnt pass up the opportunity to affect more kids. I love the inspiration in people's eyes when they learn something for the first time, or see one of the huge competitions for the first time... Its addictive
