[rourke]

As I tell the story, I tell people that I met Karthik by accident. As fate would have it, of the 5,000+ people that were in attendance at the 2003 Canadian Regional Finals, I just happened to sit down beside Karthik while I was waiting for our rookie team 1114 GM/Simbotics to compete. Karthik was discussing the ins-and-outs of the competition with a friend of his. What immediately struck me was that Karthik seemed to know everything about everything in FIRST. And I mean that in a humble way. It was clear after listening to the conversation for a couple of minutes, that here was a very unique, talented, intelligent, and passionate individual. We struck up a conversation, and a friendship began that has taken us down some pretty exciting paths. The growth of FIRST in the Niagara Region has its roots in Karthik's leadership and inspiration of students and mentors during the 2004 season. And it continues today. Congratulations Karthik. Well deserved recognition!!!

Steve Rourke
Director of Engineering
GM Canada - St. Catharines