[JaneYoung]

I'm glad to see this thread created during build this season. Thank you, Lindsey!

I've been thinking of the many examples of Gracious Professionalism that I've been privileged to witness or be a part of and I honestly wouldn't know where to start with specific examples.

Many acts of kindness and generosity have come from rookie teams over the years. They are busy with their competition/season and yet they find ways to reach out and help others and each other. I've seen it time and time again and each time I am amazed.

Watching students, parents, and mentors in the team I'm a part of, 418, consistently learn about and exhibit Gracious Professionalism over the years has been a deep source of joy and pride for me.

Continuing to meet the members of teams from around the world and to talk with them and learn about their struggles and successes as a robotics team that competes in FIRST is an experience that I value and will hold as one of the most important things I've ever done with my life. I'm very lucky that my family supports the travel and the time that it takes to be a part of our FIRST community.

Watching engineers, mentors, and volunteers working with students under the stress of competition and seeing the cooperation, interaction, mutual respect that exists among the teams is a very special opportunity. Every person who reads this, knows and understands what I am saying. If you don't now, you soon will.

Not everything is rosy - some teams struggle with Gracious Professionalism and what it means, just as individuals who make up the teams do. But there is always that opportunity to grow, develop, mature into a member of a FIRST team who embraces and reflects Gracious Professionalism in a way that Dr. Woodie Flowers would appreciate.

Jane