FIRST Impacting Job Choices

[Jaine Perotti]

Before I joined FIRST, I had not even remotely considered engineering as a career, although I had always loved science. At first, I was reluctant to even join a robotics team...I only joined because a friend of mine was already on the team and was trying to recruit new members. I remember thinking to myself...well, i guess i could give it a try, i mean, if I don't like it I could always quit... It was pretty hard at first, because I had no clue what anyone was talking about or what to do. It was like being immersed into a different language. I didn't know a nut from a bolt. But something about the other team members inspired me...their knowledge and dedication, plus they seemed to be having alot of fun. I have never liked "not being in the know" and I have always loved learning. I decided that I had to make robotics less of a mystery to me...I wanted to know the magic behind the robot that was being driven in front of me.
It was the first competition that I went to (Bash at the beach 2002)that really made me fall in love with it though...since then I have been hooked. It seem amazing that in only two years the artsy humanities girl had suddenly transformed into a robotics geek. I am now considering a career in engineering because of the program...

Now thats what I call career impact...