Girls,Why did you join FIRST???

[Julia Magoolia]

Originally Posted by Marisa Russo

It would be great to start the FIRST Femmes (or something like that)... Our purpose would be to encourage young girls with potential to get involved. The disproportionate amount of males to females in engineering is sad - I'm the perfect example of someone with a lot of potential that went on to a more traditional "girl" field bc I though I was "supposed" to. grrrrrr...

If you're looking for a FIRST organization centered around girls... You'd probably be interested in the RCU (Robot Chicks Union)! That's part of the focus of the RCU... to get more girls involved in FIRST, engineering, technology, etc.

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

Hm, well, Tom sent me over from the guys starting in FIRST thread...funny how some us get lost

Essentially I started becuase I heard about it from the girl I swam with freshman year. I needed a change, becuase I had a thirst for practical science that school science classes were barely providing me becuase I was above that level in interest. The choice to join was a difficult one. I was very very intimidated at first due to my lack of lab experience, and since I was doing a million and one things at once, decided to stick to a more laid back aspect.

However, once I realized what I'd gotten myself into, laid back was no longer a priority. Involvement was a priority. I am now with a group of friends who can smile when I rant about Science Fair and Robotics Nationals simultaneously and who help me see what education really means in this crazy world.

- Genia

[JacquelineR]

I had always loved playing with legos as a kid, so when my elementary school was trying to start up FLL teams, I joined an all-girls lego league team in 5th grade. We stayed together all through middle school, and I found that I loved working on the lego robot and programming it to accomplish all of the challenging tasks.

When I was trying to figure out what high school to go to, one of my requirements was that it had a robotics team. I had been to see a few of the "big kid robotics" competitions, and knew that I wanted to do it when I was in high school. At our club fair day I went to the robotics booth, and they all immediately started encouraging me to join once they found out that I was a girl interested in robotics. And I've been a programmer on our team ever since!

[Jasmin]

I was just curious about the entire concept. So I went to the Kettering competition and was just amazed by the amount of energy given towards it all. I got really into it, cheering for our team, and wanted to be a part of that. So I stuck around. It became addicting.

[Nica F.]

weeelllllll i joined first mostly because my school is brand new and the only extra-curricular activity was robotics, and that a couple of my guy friends told me soo many stories at the trips and stuff. i was first only into team identity and buisness plan but i got so involved that i started to learn how to do stuff, and now im uber involved.. lol

[tiffany34990]

Originally Posted by Julia Magoolia

If you're looking for a FIRST organization centered around girls... You'd probably be interested in the RCU (Robot Chicks Union)! That's part of the focus of the RCU... to get more girls involved in FIRST, engineering, technology, etc.

We are improving things and we need girls to be involved. Please sign up. We have a few things being worked on like chats about girl participation, how to get them involved and roles on the team and various other topics.

[QT_Angel]

When I first came to UDHS, the first person I became friends with is Dan Troy, who is one of the sons of our mentor Joe Troy. Dan became my best friend and he could never stop talking about robotics, that he is making Garrett, my other best friend, and i join robotics. At first I really wasn't interested, I came from a private school and had never heard of robotics until this year. At our first meeting, I had a accident before actually arriving at the meeting. Mr.Scogna, who is another mentor, was the one who actually took me to the hospital next door and explained to me about robotics. Even though I was in extreme pain because of my ankle, I was very interested. So, I went to the next meeting, fractured ankle and all, and everyone was so nice already, they talked about robotics and i just loved it. Here is a group of people that I have so much in common with that it is amazing. I have to say some of my best friends are in robotics with me.

[vic burg]

yes, we would like more chapters in RCU because that would be awesome.... it really would be. Especially to get more girls into engineering fields and what not jsut because men can no longer rule over what we have to do and say.

[tiffany34990]

Originally Posted by vic burg

yes, we would like more chapters in RCU because that would be awesome.... it really would be. Especially to get more girls into engineering fields and what not jsut because men can no longer rule over what we have to do and say.

eventually we would like more chapters but first we have to make the Union solid. chapters will eventually be mentoring and guiding the formation of new chapters.

[vic burg]

very true.... im guessing thats why yo were president this year.... lol. by the way, are we going to have different girls holding positions next yea ror what?

[Kate00]

I came to this school this year, and because of our acccellerated program (we do grades 7-9 in 2 years, Grade 10 in one, and 11 and 12 in 3 years) I had to get my grade nine credits after school with a teacher from the school. My tutor ended up being the Robotics mentor, and I got invited to Kickoff and the Saturday of competition. I caught the fever, and couldn't stop myself from joining this year. (not like i would want to)

Now, FIRST has taken over my life (and my harddrive)! I can't wait for next year!

[prb614]

I joined my robotics team, because the physics teacher, showed our school a clip about FIRST robotics from the news. From this short clip, I was amazed by the robots, and the dynamics of the competition. I know that other members of my team joined the club becasue they were interested in art, so they started off making the t shirts, then they slowly diffused with the engineering groups.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!
~PRB
1257

[tiffany34990]

Originally Posted by vic burg

very true.... im guessing thats why yo were president this year.... lol. by the way, are we going to have different girls holding positions next yea ror what?

well i wasn't president..lol...just captain of this chapter in Florida...

right now we aren't switching any roles in the Union..in the chapter.. i would like to do some assigning and all..i have to figure that all out..

[jarowe]

I suppose I joined because I like taking stuff apart and building junk. I've always annoyed my parents with it, (i.e. taking apart the family heirloom of a pocket watch when I was 7 because I didnt understand why it didn't need a battery, or constantly asking "why" when my mechanic of a father was working.)

I saw an ad in the school and went to a meeting. I suppose I'm the anomaly, but I was already interested in the robotics team before I knew it existed.

[Hafize]

I joined the robotics program in my school because my brother was involved. I am so glad I joined because it has changed my life dramatically. This was my third year on the team and my role on this years team was engineering captain it was the first year that we have had a female engineering captain and may slogan was "I'm a girl I can do it."