My thanks to FIRST and my team

[Kel D]

I guess the saying is true that you don't know what you have until it's gone. Now that my family moved, I came to the realization of how much I loved being a part of my team, the Firebirds, and how much I loved being a part of FIRST. FIRST is such an amazing program because not only do you get to work with engineers and build a robot, but you learn teamwork, you learn to go out there and make something happen like getting money form a sponsor and working with big companies. You learn to work with people who you have never met before and you learn to help people and get help from people you never met before. I don't think that throughout my entire FIRST experience I really encountered a mean person or someone who wasn't more than ready to help out with anything. Not many high school programs can say that. I have talked to people who say that they wish they did more in high school and they wish they got involved in more. But I am proud to say that I would not change my involvement at all in high school, only that I would have started with FIRST freshman year instead of sophomore year. All of my high school memories are from FIRST and my team. Being part of the Firebirds and FIRST was the best thing that could have heppened to me during high school. So I want to say thanks to all my friends and teammates and all our spectacular mentors and all FIRSTers for making high school bearable. GO FIREBIRDS!

[Dorienne]

It is hard to graduate and not miss FIRST. I know when I graduate I will feel the same. If you go into college, see if there's a team near your college that you can help. That's the best way to stay involved in FIRST and also branch out. Also, if there's a regional in the state you go to, try volunteering to help at the regional. That's always tons of fun!
Good luck in all you do, and I hope you stay involved in FIRST. It's too great a program to leave.
--d0ri

[Greg Needel]

what Dorienne said is very true and i would encourage it. having been a mentor for a couple of years now i must say how rewarding it is to give back and make another student feel the same way that you did when you were in High School. It is a very different experience mentoring (especally a team you are not associated with) but you learn to love that team and the people involved just as much as when you were in school.

For Everyone: even if you are not an engineering student you can never be sure what you can bring to a team but your experience, and knowlage in different feilds makes this competiton unique. I really support people who enjoyed being a student on a FIRST team to go back and help in any way possible because it is through volenteers that FIRST will grow and insprie more minds.

to all those graduated seniors: good luck this comming year in school and there is always room on a team for more help, and i am sure your teams will miss you