[Kmo]

Being one of the girls that went on this trip to LA I would have to say that it was a life learning experience. My first time joining robotics I started out as a scrapbooker because I didn't know much about building a robot or putting together a electric broad or anything else like that. What I knew was how to be creative and that was who I became for my first year on the team. I didn't start taking up other positions on the team until last year at the San Diego Regional, there I realize how important it is for a women to get more involved with science and technology. I say this because a women can gain so much, from learning how to build to pr. There they learn how to work under pressure and how to deal with stress at a critical moment.

My experience from LA was exhilarating. My main job on the team was to be the driver, but when I wasn't in a match I was talking to the judges and to the media or who ever came by. Sometimes I was helping the other girls make changes to the robot, and this was all on the first day. On the Next two days I was more focus on driving, going to other teams coming up with the best strategy, talking to the judges and the people that came by to see the robot that asked questions that came to mind. I never thought it would be this challanging; to be able to drive, to be able to talk to others, to be able to repair the robot in only a couple of minutes. I understand what most of the guys on our team have to go through now and what it takes to be just as good as anyone else on our team.

I guess I can see how others would say it's unfair to the guys because on their team both male and female are equal, like it doesn't really matter what gender you are just weather if you are good at what you do or weather you are wanting to learn how to do certain things that interest you.

I want eveyone to know that I appricate everything my mentors went through to make this happen, this really was a life learning experince, I'm sure not only for me, but also the rest of the girls that came on this trip.

My thanks to our mentors