[kevinw]

The very first year I participated in FIRST, I joined my team because working on a team robot and taking part in the competition sounded like it would be enjoyable. My reasons were mostly selfish, and whatever the students took away from the program was a bonus. I didn't believe that a short program meeting a few times a week for a couple of months could really have a significant impact on the students.

However, at the conclusion of my first year, a mother of one of the students on the team sent a personal letter to each and every engineer. In this letter, the mother could not express how thankful she was that her son, Tim, had been given the opportunity to join the robotic group. Tim had not been doing well in school, and his mother had feared that he was heading down a dark and dangerous path. Through the FIRST team, Tim found that he could do something he enjoyed, learn valuable lessons, and make a contribution to society all at the same time.

While I really did enjoy working on the robot and participating in the competition, the reason I return to FIRST year after year is more because I was wrong about the program not having an impact on students. Because of the short program timing, the entire FIRST program is quite intense. This intensity helps to form a group of students who may not normally spend time together into a team. This intensity also helps make the enitre experience more meaningful, and really does enable FIRST to make a lasting impression on both students looking for direction in their lives as well as students who are hoping to confirm that they are pursuing something that they will enjoy.

Kevin Weiss
Team 308 - The Monsters
TRW Automotive - Walled Lake Schools