[Nick Seidl]

The affect of FIRST on my career I think is particularly unique. While many will tell you that FIRST was their reason for going into a particular field of engineering, or college engineering program, I went a very different route. Like most of you, I had an idea of what I wanted to be before I got involved (storm chaser), which ultimately changed to mechanical or manufacturing engineering.

After a year of engineering at Purdue, I found that engineering just wasn't for me. While I was surviving academically, there was more theory than practice than I expected, and I realized that most engineers only spend the first few years of their careers doing real design work. I began to consider other career options.

Now at this point, I had spent a year as a mentor with 461. As enjoyable as FIRST was as a student, I found being a mentor to be all the more rewarding. Ultimately, I chose a career in Technology Education. After moving to the new Purdue team, 1646, in 2005, I have spent as many years mentoring as I did participating as a student. I am looking for the first job of my career, of which paticipating as a teacher mentor will surely be a part.