[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

When my son first came to be on the team, the aspiration was that the students would graduate and come back to work for the sponsor. I liked that idea as Motorola was the largest employer in northern Illinois at the time and certainly the largest in our general area. Students would naturally live and work in the community in which they were born.
It has grown to students learning that there is much more to life than work and playing games. They have come to value helping others, learning something new and passing that knowledge on to younger people. There is no doubt in my mind that our communities have improved over that time. In addition to everything else, our students have learned that it is possible to stare down a problem and find a solution and that there are others who are willing to help.
In my own experience, I have found new methods of solving problems in an efficient manner. I firmly believe that other mentors on the team have as well. FRC has had a great effect on my life and the life of my family and community. You can't put a dollar sign on that improvement but the value is incalculable.

Al, your perspectives and insight are invaluable to ChiefDelphi and this is a good example of why. I wish with all of my heart that more of our members who carry history, growth, and development within their experiences with FIRST - would share as generously and as wisely as you do. It deepens the knowledge and widens the thinking, helping to move us into big picture thinking. That is no small thing, esp. for a topic like this.

Jane