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Wow, I think I've been in FIRST so long that I no longer remember when I wasn't in FIRST. So how did I get involved? Well, I started out on team 7 back in 1998. It was the second year of the team at my high school and I had had a friend on it the previous year. Basically, I joined because I thought it sounded cool. And somehow I got addicted which explains why I did it through high school. Last year at RIT, a few of us who had been on various teams in high school (7, 175, and 191 to be exact) decided that RIT really needed a team. So we started one and somehow I ended up in charge. And we miraculously found a sponsor at the last minute (December 1 for those keeping score at home). We picked up another sponsor and RIT kicked in support just in time for us to be able to go to nationals last year (middle February). And here I am in the second year of the new Tigerbolt Robotics team.
This of course brings up to why I am in competition this year. While the fact that FIRST is cool is defiantely a part of why I'm still involved in FIRST, that isn't the whole story. I gave up doing FIRST for myself quite a while ago. Instead, I'm here for the kids. To give the students a chance. To show that they can actually accomplish something. Those are what I strive for. While encouraging engineering is also part of the job, it pales when compared with the simple message given to the students that they can really do something.
And now more than ever I'm asking myself while I'm still involved with FIRST. Frankly, I really don't have time for it and yet still do it and run the team. Part of me wants out. To loose the responsiblity and the stress and the headaches and the sleepless nights. Part of me loves the team inspite of all of the above. And I know that in the coming years I will have even less time and less energy to deal with FIRST. I know I'm suppose to be on Coop this summer and next winter (or fall, depending if I do a double Coop block). I know that I won't be able to give FIRST the amount of time it needs. So perhaps that's the main reason that I've decided that this year will be my last year of involvement in FIRST to the level that I've done it in the past.
Matt who doesn't know why he decided to put this here......
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