[patrickrd]

I became *interested* in FIRST when you WPI people (well, I guess this was a year before you came to WPI, kate) showed the entire Junior class that ESPN video in the Fishbowl. That got me to goto Philly and UTC. After those comps, I was hooked and FIRST became a major part of my life.

Now, leaving Mass Academy/WPI was hard, because I knew I was going to a College without a team. But due to a number of reasons -- most importantly the challenge of it -- I decided to try start a team at Cornell or in Ithaca. It's been a great experience -- I've met lots of students, professors, administration, and people in the community. Most importantly, I know that high school students (and perhaps college too) are benefitting from their experience on the team.

Through all this, I'm not sure where FIRST lies in my future. Although the challenge I gave myself of starting a team is completed and my team would likely be fine without me, I will probably remain involved as a mentor throughout the next three years.

Patrick