[Jeff K.]

I could not agree more with your post. Not everyone's experience in FIRST has been the same. Society has become a "give me now" feeding machine that demands everything now. Recognition now, awards now... The true gift of FIRST is inspiration in science and technology that will help them pursue a degree in Engineering, Business, or some other field that they would not consider had they not done FIRST.

To me, FIRST has been more than just a club on campus that got to travel to cool places. It would take me pages to include the full impact of FIRST on my high school career. I have just been fortunate to look at all the experiences I have had in a positive light, and to see where I can improve. It does not benefit anyone to bring down the other person. They did something right you did not. I did not realize it until my junior year, but FIRST is about more than just the game every year. It is to create a better society that enforces children's knowledge and education. Every year, Bush and other government leaders have been taking out of the education budget. That money has gone into other funds, the economy to prevent poverty, war, etc. These will not shape the future to be better, they all are short term plan to fix the now. Preventing poverty by giving a person a few hundred dollars will just help them survive for a few months. Giving them knowledge of how to be successful will help them survive for a lifetime. People also have disagreements which lead to war. Unable to reason and compromise, they jump straight to using force to prove their point. FIRST though teaches these and other life lessons. Why give a man a fish when you can teach him how to catch his own fish? FIRST teaches students how to problem solve, work together, compromise if need be, and work for an overall success in the long term, not the short term.

As a senior now graduating and going off to college, this is only the tip of the iceberg for the impact FIRST has had on me. I never knew that FIRST would be influencing me to go to college to major in Mechanical Engineering to do what is right for society. It has made me value my intellect and human capacity of what I can do. Sure my team does not win all the awards, but they walk away after each competition and meeting with some new knowledge, and that's how they truly are winners. Seeing them talk about what to improve upon, and not downplaying others is very positive and what society needs.

FIRST really is more than just a chairman's award, or regional champion. It is shaping our society for the long term.

I just hope everyone realizes that it's not about the awards or the robots. It's about the students involved, mentors, and sponsors, because they are shaping our society with the long term success plan. The future is OUR future, not your or my future. We need to work together in order to keep society just and to promote positive growth.

If you have not had a positive experience in FIRST, please don't bring those that have down.

My $0.02.