Girls,Why did you join FIRST???

[1527Michiru]

Well, here's my story....

A friend of mine was assigned to Robotics as an extra curricular class (She hadn't signed up for it. Also, robotics is not a very commonly known, or popular class at our school) and she ended up loving the program. she kept telling me "You have to join robotics!! It's so much fun!" So i came to a few meetings and then re-arranged my schedule so I could transfer in the next semester. I've been in love with my team and the FIRST experience ever since. I plan on coming back to mentor after I graduate.


I love this program and the people you meet in it. I'm so lucky to have found it, and I will remember what happens within the next few years for the rest of my life.

~Casey

[JYang]

My friend was the captain of our team. She convinced me to try it for one day since I had never had any robotics experiences that I liked. And I was suprised at what went on and just started to continue going. After a while it was actually fun and addicting. So now I'm back for another year hoping it will be as fun if not better than last year.

[StaceyW]

I Basically joined first because of my brothers and then my whole family jumped in so i did to. I've always been going to FRC competitions even though i'm not on a team and i did FLL and this year we're starting a FTC team. I guess the main reason i'm still going to competition is its just fun and I like meeting new people. I Defiantly Don't Plan To Stop Going To FRC Competitions for a long time because volenteering is really fun. Even if we only have a vex team.

[technoL]

Flashback 3 Years:
I knew that I was pretty good with science and math and I liked building things, but I had no idea what I could do with these interests. I was in 8th grade and everyone was choosing what high school/magnet program they wanted to go to. There was a bit of local press about Mayhem @ the Museum and I noticed a local school was involved. Looked interesting, so I looked into it and checked out their magnet program. I visited the open house and magnet showcase, saw the robot and school facilities and I was hooked. It seemed too good to be true. I "followed" 108 through the 2005 season and it happened to be a great time to follow...the year we made it to Einstein. I was definitely joining this team! That whole summer between 8th and 9th grade I was an avid Chief Delphi lurker, and practically memorized info from the FIRST site. I joined the team in Fall of 05 and it has been one of the most interesting experiences of my life thus far.

[dumb freshman activities >> shyness >> learning >> fun >> inspiration>>]

Fast Forward to Present:
It was a decision that I couldn't regret if I tried (and at times, I have). Sure there have been ups and downs, but it still seems too good to be true. I'm just a bit disappointed that I couldn't get involved earlier with FLL. My experience with FIRST has been one of the best and is nowhere close to an end. The journey continues...

[Éowyn]

I didn't want to be a dumb blonde. (Well, I guess there wasn't any real danger of that since I'm not blonde, but still. . . )

I started in FLL, then went straight to the big 'bots. I loved the machine shop, in fact I still do, the ability to make parts for a robot out of a hunk of metal is somehow very alluring. I learned a LOT in my first two years on FRC, and I plan on learning more in my last two.

Bring on 2008!

[MChapman]

Well actually i had no idea we even had a team at my high school till my friend told me about it because he was on the time. So being a great friend he dragged me on the team as a new recruit.

I had no idea what i was doing, after all i had never really been interested in the whole science thing. But sure enough before we hit competition of that year i was a whole new person and learned so much. Now i love the program, and cant get enough! I graduated this past spring and now in college i still keep up with my team and support them whenever i can!

Go FIRST & Girls!

[Jessica Stidham]

The TechnoKats have put on a ball drop in dowtown Kokomo since 1998. When I was in middle school I went down to see it and I wanted to know more about the people who did it. My freshman year I took Intro to Engineering Design and my teacher was one of the lead mentors. He told me all about the team, so I decided that i would go to some meetings. Right away I loved it.

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by Jessica Stidham

... Right away I loved it.

And, this past weekend at the ARC event in Michigan, Jessica did a great job as the first female driver of a TechnoKat robot in over 10 years.

Way to go, Jessica!

Andy B.

[Shelbo]

I joined FIRST because as a freshman i didn't have a science. And of course my mom said "You NEED a science!" Then my 8th grade teacher told me about this program her neighbor was taking over and told me to come to a meeting. I did. and at first i was like it's ok nothing majorly exciting, but in 3 weeks the Duel on the Delaware was going to take place. From there it was simple. I FELL IN LOVE! the music, the people, the excitment, the fun, the experience, everything was just WOW!

3 years later i'm glad i joined. I have met some extraordinary people that have changed my life.

[lackadaisy :)]

My elementary school teacher was one of the coaches of Team 341 Miss Daisy and she talked about FIRST all the time. Then when I was in 4th grade, my friend's sister was on the team, so she brought me to Ramp Riot and the Philadelphia Regional a couple times, and I was like "Wow, I want to do that when I'm in high school!" Then at the beginning of my freshman year, I wasn't sure if I really wanted to join or not. At a band practice I met one of the girls on the team and she told me how much fun it is, so I decided to join. I'm so glad I did! It's so much fun and I've met so many awesome people.

[SPurekar]

I started with FLL in eighth grade, when my dad decided he'd coach an all girls team to get some girls involved since the 3 other teams from my middle school had only boys. Enough girls didn't sign up, and we ended up with a team mostly of boys. I hated the idea at first and refused to do anything, since engineering was for boys but loved it in the end and decided to join my high school's FIRST team the next year. Now I spend WAY too much time on FIRST things and am so glad I joined!

[Zyik]

I joined my local Lego League team in 7th grade. I showed up at the first meeting and thought I couldn't do anything. I never had legos as a kid, couldn't really do the building needed. However, the coach helped me out, and introduced me to programming. Never wanted to do anything else after that.

[Unagi_mochi]

At school in 7th grade, we were required to take this computer science class that pretty much introduced lego mindstorms. I instantly fell in love with it. A team for FLL was made the following year. Though I didn't join it, I heard all of these awesome things about it. When I finally got into high school, didn't have time for the school's FIRST team till my friends finally convinced me to join. I have no regrets at all. =]

[misspunk]

I joined FIRST because I thought it would be a really cool thing to say I helped build a robot. I wanted to do something besides sports. I wanted to do something out of the ordinary. It turns out that I am the only one from my school and 1 of 7 girls.

[drumfreak]

My math teacher was the one running the team. He really wanted me to join for two reasons:
1) I am a girl and there aren't many on the team.
2) I am apparently really smart (I'm a 9th grader takin trig.)
My sister's friend Jose was the president of the team and said it was really fun so I decided to go one day when I had nothing to do. I automatically loved it. Everyone was so nice that I decided to stay. Now the people on the team are some of my best friends!