A farewell to the place I called home

[Jaine Perotti]

I want to thank you Ken, for the wonderful contributions you have made to FIRST and this forum. You have set an incredible example to those around you and within the FIRST community. I have been inspired by the eloquence of your writing and your thought, and it has encouraged me to think “beyond the competition”.

Many people join FIRST, go through all the motions of building a competition robot, and then leave it at that. Many do not take FIRST further than what they know it as in the concrete: simply a robotics competition. It is the rarest of individuals who, upon entering a new world of experiences (such as FIRST), will attempt to fully comprehend what the true meaning of that experience is. They recognize what the “big picture” is, and think beyond the realm of their own world.

In FIRST, this means recognizing and broadening the definitions of the objectives of the organization itself. It means striving to help FIRST do its job even better. It means striving to bring inspiration to students and mentors alike. It means teaching others about gracious professionalism - in an effort to enlighten FIRSTers, and consequently society, about the nature of human progress. Ken Leung has done all of these things, in an effort to bring this message of awareness to the rest of the FIRST community.

Ken, I congratulate you on taking what you have gotten out of FIRST into the real world. This is an example that other people within FIRST need to emulate.
To everyone - Follow Ken's example. Take the wonderful experiences that you have had, take the wonderful lessons you have learned, and use them to inspire others and change the world. By doing this, you are fulfilling the real aim of FIRST – initiating positive change in a society that is darkened by greed, anger and hatred.

Thank you,
Jaine