Why are YOU involved in FIRST?

[Eria4044]

A friend of mine, who's a year older than me, was on the school's robotics team his freshman year. My freshman year (this year), he persuaded me into joining.

My sister was in it from 1998 (99ish) to 2002 and i would go to liek all comps and nats and i loved it. so i joined when i got in high school. i also like doing hand on things liek building and stuff. and you also meet alot of cool people and stuff

[Koko Ed]

For solely selfish reasons that end up being noble.
I initially joined for the opportunity to do animation. Then I became hopelessly hooked on the program and it's my favorite hobby and it serves as an opportunity to inspire lots of kids in positive ways and is a great tool with the potential to light the way to wards the future for the African-American community where there were few.

[KelliV]

While sitting at work yesterday I got to thinking, those of you who know me know that doesn't happen often, but I thought and thought about my high school experience.
Most of you knwo I am involved in to many things for my own good, and thinking back I looked at the many things that I am now an "alumni of" and most of them are organizations that I will never join again becuase they are only for high school students. Then I realized something.
I saw how amazing FIRST really is. Look around at these forums, look at the generations that span their pages, look at all the contacts you have met, and then see that you will meet them again. It isn't like Student council where you will see each other once every 5 years at some cheezy picnic in the back of your school, it is a community of people who you get to see multiple times a year. That's whats great, you are never an alumni of FIRST, you can always be there, mentoring, learning, creating.
So as the class of 2006 turns their team position from "student/driver/communications/etc." to "alumni" remember that you are just an alumni of your team for the time being.
I am still involved in FIRST, and I always will be, let's face it... FIRST Rocks!

[Kyle Love]

Simple. It's all about the people.

[artdutra04]

For me, it started because of the robots. But now, it is all about the people you meet, the friends you make, the great times you have, the excitement of the competition, the adrenaline of the eliminations, the Dew to be drunk, the sights to be seen, and the general awesomeness of FIRST that keeps me involved. (In addition to the robots, of course. )

[anna~marie]

(why not?)

I was more or less forced by my school to be involved in the FLL pilot. I enjoyed it and did it again for a few years.
During that time my brothers were on the HOT team and my dad was a mentor.
I guess I felt I had to when I got to high school.
I got pulled into OCCRA by one of my friends my freshman year, and robotics hasn't stopped since!
I just love it - the people, the experience, the learning, the thrill, the team... it's just amazing

[Mike Shaul]

The same as a lot of other people!

I love to learn new things and to be involved in the student education process. It is an honor to be involved with the program and wish I had a team at my high school when I was younger.

[DevilChild]

Quite honestly, I joined this year because last year, my freshman year, a couple of my friends were in it and they told me how much fun I would have if I joined. I didn't know I could still join then, but my sophomore year I joined and let me tell you, I've never been the same. FIRST is so wonderful, it embodies many personal beliefs of mine (such as the wonderfulness of gracious professionalism and the idea that kids today focus too much on pop culture). Also, it gave me the self confidence to show who I really am and not care what anyone thinks of me, because, after competitions and build season, I realized that people would still like me and I'd have a lot more fun if I would stop pretending to be quiet in school and just... be my crazy self. The feeling you get when you see 6 weeks of hard work, stress, and frustration pull together and become a working robot is the most amazing feeling I have ever felt. Pathetic as this may sound, one of my deepest wishes is that I had joined robotics last year, the program is that dear to me now.

[Morgan Gillespie]

My math teacher told me to
Plus I met a few people from our robotics team at LEGO camp.

OH I totally forgot in 2001 I was at the high school for one of my sisters shows and the robotics team we doing a demonstration.

[Alexa Stott]

I joined because...my mom was friends with someone whose son is on the team, and he was talking to me about it one day. It seemed like an interesting thing to do. Also, in 2000, I participated in Invent America, which was held at our high school. They had our team do a presentation. I was amazed at the robot. I've always been a bit of an odd person, but after my first robotics meeting, I knew I'd fit in just fine with the other kids on the team.

[Morgan Gillespie]

Originally Posted by AtalanteStar25

I joined because...my mom was friends with someone whose son is on the team, and he was talking to me about it one day. It seemed like an interesting thing to do. Also, in 2000, I participated in Invent America, which was held at our high school. They had our team do a presentation. I was amazed at the robot. I've always been a bit of an odd person, but after my first robotics meeting, I knew I'd fit in just fine with the other kids on the team.

Thats where it was at invent America. I couldn't remember exactly where it was, I just assumed it was at one of my sisters plays because that was one of the only reasons I went to the high school.

[Kristian Calhoun]

I joined because... Alexa (AtalanteStar25)^, and my friend, Mike Ciance's little sister, wanted me to join with them. Also, I never really got interested in sports/played on a sports team, and the robotix team seemed suit my interests pefectly. And I've been hooked since.
All of the different people, the robots, the atmosphere of a FIRST competition, and all the things that can be learned, and just the overall experience - nothing compares to FIRST.

[Michelle Celio]

The reason I joined was kinda well a long processes. It started out in the middle of my sophmore year. My technical class teacher (i got to a tech school so we're in there 1/2 the day) was like "Who wants to join the robotics team". I wanted to but my mom didn't feel like driving me (tech school was 45 min from house..well still is but yeah). So my friends who did join eventually left that year but before they left they we're like "You should come aboard just to do the website". I still couldn't go. In the mean time I looked into what FIRST really was and started looking at other teams to get an idea for what I was in for.

Then my junior year came around and my ex was like "I'll drive you home from your first meeting" so that happend, and my mom has been driving me back and forth. And guess what...I do the website . So my orginal reason to be recruited has happend. I find it kinda cool.

[RoboMadi]

ehm ehm
To be friends with all the top minds and techy people, so i can create my base and RULE THE WORLD!


Every happy ending needs a bright beginning. That 'beginning' is FIRST for me.