So, you're not an engineer! How do you help your team??

[JakeGallagher]

Whatever is broken, I fix.
Whatever needs animated, I animate.
Whatever needs updated or needs info collected, I update or collect info.
Whatever needs done, (aside from hardcore engineering) I do.
Whoever needs help, I help.

[Elgin Clock]

Originally Posted by MikeWasHere05

As far as I know im the programming team... ted said the programmer left last year >.<

As far as students yes.. We still have a dedicated programming/electrical mentor. And other electrical students.

[Madison]

As a mentor, I try to lead by example whenever possible, so that means that I do a lot of things that piss off a lot of other people. I don't play well with others, generally speaking, because I want for people to learn to be self-sufficient. It's not that I can't work well in a team, but that I've learned that it's exceptionally important to be able to stand on your own at times. Life's not always easy and I don't accept much by way of excuses. I am, above all else, always a vocal supported of education. A lack of knowledge about some subjects is okay; a lack of initiative to learn more is not.

That said, I am typically responsible for mechanical design and drafting. I design components for fabrication, but I don't handle the fabrication. I suppose that also places me in charge of outsourcing. While I'm not an engineer (yet?), I've learned a lot about acceptable practice in mechanical design over the years from studying the work of others and believe that I'm a valuable asset.

FIRST is about a lot more than robots, as these students are growing up and learning about the way the world works from their mentors. We don't just teach them about engineering, we teach them about life. I think it's of paramount importance that, in addition to showing them the benefits their works as engineers might have, we concurrently provide for them opportunities to explore other paths and maintain respect for and awareness of paths that we do not choose to follow, but are no less valuable, acceptable, or important.

[MoeMom]

• cheer
  lend a hand or two
  listen
  nudge
  encourage
  brain storm
  sew kilts (!!) and capes (!!)
  volunteer at FRC and FLL events
  drive robots to public appearances
  channel energy/guide students' literacy outreach
  contact congresspersons
  promote science/engineering/technology education
  sometimes help write grants
  try to keep up!

I'm a MOEmom, and I'm proud of you all!
Go! Make a better world!

[Allison K]

I'm an alumni-mentor. I don't have a job title, as I'm kind of a unique entity on our team. There are other alumni-mentors as well but we all have different amounts of time and different skills to bring to the group, so most of us are floaters, so to speak.

How do you help your team?
-Train the scouts and oversee the scouting process.
-Run the offseason program (The technical and non-technical divisions, which include organizing fundraising and outreach projects, finding new sponsors, getting all the old robots up and running, build a new crate and cart, team building fun).
-Idea Machine (This is everyone on the team really, but I compile the ideas into emails and send them to the necessary people).
-Field coach.
-I bring the goldfish (The edible kind).
-During build, I jump from group to group, helping where I can, and I spent a lot of time supervising in the machine shop.
-Currently I'm helping the seniors organize their senior project (which has been intergrated into the offseason program).

What's your current career?
I'm currently a college student, working towards a degree in secondary education (debating between majoring in chemistry, biology, physics, psychology, or some computer science or application).

Is this related to what you help out with on the team?
I suppose that anything I do that's working with high school students is related to a secondary education degree, so yes.

~Allison

[Ryan Dognaux]

I've been doing animation during the build season and scouting during the competition season for my four years with Cyber Blue. Next year, I'll be going into Computer Graphics Technology at Purdue. From there, who knows, it all depends on what I end up actually specifying my major as.. which I have no idea as to what that will be yet. Most likely something that requires a lot of technical skills, but at the same time some artistic ability. A bit of both sides of the brain.

With scouting - a lot of teams have adapted scouting to include computers with huge databases and all that jazz. I, personally, have found that unnecessary. We do it pen and paper style, everything is kept in a notebook, and scouting reports on the teams we're going up against go to the pits to assist in creating a strategy. It's simple, and it has been proven to work well.

While I'm most definately going to continue with FIRST into college... I don't know what I want to do on the team I mentor. Guess we'll see...

[Josh Hambright]

I help my team with alot of different areas, atleast i like to think i help out more then i get in the way. But i help mostly with electrical, controls, pneumatics, and programming, the same areas i was incharge of back in high school, except now i just help them solve problems and help them get stuff done rather then doing the brunt of the work like the old days. I also help out with mechical when i can, strategy, CAD, website, animation, video production, public relations, and just about any other area.

My career right now is retail. I am an employee of Target. Which has just about nothing to do with robots. Except i now know how everything in the backroom that is sweet and hydrolic and pneumatic and mechanical works because of robots, but that doesn't really help me at robotics. I am also a student, which does i guesse help me with robotics, because i'm in the CS program at the local community college until i move away in august to Bloomington.

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

I work at Xerox as a meterials handler which is basically a fork truck driver, I must be the only one involved in FIRST.

While i dont actualy drive a fork lift, i do work in the backroom alot and I'm certified to use the big powered pallet jack that can lift stuff really high in the air. The equipment in the back room rocks!

[Mike Ciance]

I'm a student. My official jobs are:

Lead Animator - did 99% of the work for the AVA
Co-Leader of Scouting - second in command
Chairman's Committee Member - mainly an editor
RINOS Committee Member - rookie "tour guide"

Originally Posted by Ryan Dognaux

With scouting - a lot of teams have adapted scouting to include computers with huge databases and all that jazz. I, personally, have found that unnecessary. We do it pen and paper style, everything is kept in a notebook, and scouting reports on the teams we're going up against go to the pits to assist in creating a strategy. It's simple, and it has been proven to work well.

i agree 100% - a well-designed scouting sheet can be more efficient than any computer system. maybe Tablet PCs could score even, but paper is cheaper and doesn't crash

[SlimsGirl]

I’m an “adult” mentor on team 188 and like Steve Warren, I work for Bell Canada as well. However, I work in a more administrative position than tech. The only way my day job relates to the team is that I do help push papers and organize the students and events.

I also work on a contract basis as a computer graphics designer. That’s where I try to shine on the team. I give guidance and input on layouts of print & web work that the students create.

Oddly enough, this year I mostly helped out with Team Spirit. It’s odd because I’m generally a quite person. But in this year’s competition, I yelled my heart out for the teams and lost my voice for a while. Some people are slightly reserved when it comes to cheering and dancing around, but once you get them revved up, the tables turn and you’re the one feeding off their energy.

I feel especially fortunate working with a bunch of wonderful students and will miss those who are graduating this year. But I can’t wait to meet new students next year and have yet another awesome season.

[Justin 188]

Yay for media people!

I think I'm one of the oddities in FIRST in that it inspired me to pursue a career in art (graphic design), rather than science and engineering. My first experience with Photoshop was because of my involvement on Team 188, and it basically just spun from there. Now I come back and teach graphics.

Engineers make it work; designers make it look gooood.

[KathieK]

As I've said before, FIRST is not just about inspiring students who would normally gravitate towards science and engineering, it's also about getting those who would normally gravitate towards the humanities to get excited about science and technology!

[Bill Moore]

How do you help your team?
- Animation Mentor (4 years)
- Competition scout
- Competition videographer
- Computer hardware setup/troubleshooting
- (Sometimes) Runner for items we forgot to bring to Regionals.

What's your current career?
- Research Technician, currently working on polymeric materials development.
- B.S. Degree in Horticulture (no, that is not a form of engineering)

Is this related to what you help out with on the team?
- Not directly.
- Basically, I fill in some areas where we do not have someone professionally qualified for a task.
- I started as a parent (as many of the MOE mentors), and have stayed because of the great folks (adults and students) in this program.

[Chase]

I'm the team photographer (having my own dark room pretty much means I qualify).
I would, however, like to have more to do with building and/or game play.