[RoyalRobo1070]

I'm from Team 1070, an all-girls team from an all-girls school. Needless to say, considering that our school is made up of only girls, the only men on our team are mentors. I have been on this team for four years, and I am glad that there were only girls on our team. The fact is that most girls are turned off from engineering and the sciences BECAUSE of that stereotype that we belong in the home and BECAUSE of the lack of exposure that we get.

From year to year, we have had a hard time recruiting members. However, the members that we do recruit are dedicated and hard-working. Personally, I would rather have a small, dedicated group rather than a whole bunch of people doing nothing.

As to the comment that it's degrading to say "she's the first woman" to do this or that, certainly, to an extent, it is. However, in a sense, there is a need to push into the public view the fact that there are not that many women interested in engineering.

That's why I think that FIRST is so great, in the fact that it brings in both men and women early on in life to get them interested in engineering before stereotypes and society get in the way of such a fascinating career field.