[Karibou]

Hello, welcome to FIRST!

I'm not the only girl on my team - I never have been, and never will be - but there are definitely times when I'm the only female in the shop or the room. As others have said, just jump in headfirst, and show the guys that you're serious about learning programming. Keep asking questions, keep showing up, and keep learning, and eventually they'll see that you're not going away any time soon, and they'll have a lot more respect for you. Respect is a hard thing for a girl to get from guys. Even as a team captain, a lot of the freshmen still don't seem to be able to wrap their minds around the idea that I have authority over them, but the veterans get the idea. Once you've proven yourself once, you don't need to do it again. Oh - don't use the "I'm a girl, so I can't/won't do this" excuse. If you really need an excuse for something, it's because you're a rookie, not a girl.

Don't let the guys brush you off. You have as much of a right to programming as they do.

TBA is blocked at school (which is where I am right now), but 280 probably going to Detroit (at least) like last year. They picked 1189 last year for the quarterfinals, and their pit was right across from ours. Everyone seemed super pumped and excited and welcoming, so (to me) you shouldn't have any problems. Also, if you are at Detroit, please stop by our pit and say hello!

If you've got questions or need help, feel free to PM/email/IM me.