Sad Day for Seniors

[MOEmaniac]

It is truely a sad thing to say good bye to all the seniors on my team because over the past months they have really taken me under their wing and taught me so much. Seeing how I'm a junior now, I will probably be doing the same thing to a rookie next year, and that too will be sad. I know I will miss all the seniors on my team because they truely have made my experience on MOE one of the best experiences of my life.

[Joshua May]

I'm just in my Junior year right now, but just thinking that I only have one year left really pulls at my heartstrings. This is just a bit of extra incentive to kick-butt next year and make it to nats. If I end up going to a California school, such as CalTech, then I'll stay with mentoring my team, at least at any free moment of my time. If I'm somewhere else, then I'll definitely keep contact with my team and help them out all I can, but I will definitely either mentor an existing team or start a new one. If I'm at MIT, I would really like to join up with a team like 69. I guess the countdown begins until I'm in you guys' shoes. *sad*

[hay4man]

Alright guys and gals, here is a news break. FIRST isn't the only activity out there. I am a fellow senior, going to college. For those of us who are going to engineering colleges, I assure you that there will be plenty of opportunities to participate in activities similar to FIRST. They may not be as fun and exciting as FIRST. FIRST is a stepping stone to better, bigger, more important, and challenging tasks. Step out of the small world of FIRST where you build robots that play a game. Step into the world of college and beyond where you design and build anything, anything that this world is in need of. FIRST teaches the scientific/engineering processes, and the dynamics of working in a team. Your participation in FIRST has been preparation for the future. So now that your leaving it, remember it, learn from it, and look forward to a better future because you did it.

[c-squared_2006]

There are alot of juniors on the team that I'm on and they'll be seniors next year, I want to cry. But hugs to every senior out there! XOXO

[Melissa Nute]

I didn't really think of the this nationals as a sad day for me even with me being a senior. Everything that went with nationals this year gave me a nice closure in my high school chapter of FIRST. I have trained a wonderful person to become the leader of my team (86) next year. I have met some of the people on the team I'm joining next year (190). It just seems like its time for it to happen. Then again, I was never a driver so it isn't like I'm losing ever getting to do that again.

[Crop-Circles]

Okay, this is kind of hard to say, but I think I'm actually glad to be done. Does anyone else feel this way? I mean, I absolutly LOVE FIRST for everything that its done for me, and I made a lot of freinds that I can't stand leaving. But my experience with FIRST has been very mentally draining. I feel like I got something great, but it's time to move on.

It probably has to do with some team issues though. This entire year has felt like a completly different FIRST. A lot of politics have been going on in my team for the past few years, and the mentors I used to work with were no longer on the team this year. They had been with my team since I joined, and they were always there for our team. They weren't only there to help build a robot, but to give us a great gift. But they've already left. It's as if I've only been with my current team since January, so I guess its not that hard to say goodbye. I already had to deal with losing my old team. So I guess I feel like my last year was really 2003.

Anyway, putting up with all the politics and drama that have faced my team has really taken away my spirit. Maybe after a year off I'll feel like working with a team again. But until then, I guess I'll just be volunteering at competitions.

It's kind of weird reading all of these posts and not being able to relate. Does any one else feel that way?

[Kel D]

I don't want to leave at all. FIRST is the best thing I did during high school and I can't image what high school would have been like without it. FIRST teaches everyone a lot of life skills and I pity everyone who has never been involved in FIRST. I know for the seniors on 433, we did a heck of a lot to bring the teams reputation up in our school community and amoung other teams. So it's like we're just getting started and now we have to leave. But the real kick in the pants is that we had a rough first regional and finally got our act in time for the elimination rounds at our second regional and completly broke out in the quaterfinals, but we didnt make it to the finals so we couldn't go to nationals our last year. It was very dissapointing but there is nothing we can do about it now. But we have all have to pass on the tourch some time and that really is the important thing, to get other people involved.

[Pengiun Joe]

I can see where Crop-Circles is coming from on that one. I graduated last year, and I also came from a team where we had some issues. It was nice to have a little bit of time off, but I still miss them dearly. I really wanted to come back and mentor, but I've lived in a few different places since then. It would be nice to mentor ANYWHERE, but I just don't have that opportunity right now. I guess all good things must come to an end. It's a little bit of a let down and a relief to be gone.

[Elyse Holguin]

I feel the need to add onto my previous post. Our team recently had a school board meeting, and Ryan, Mike, and I (the three seniors) walked in ahead of everyone, and when we sat down to watch a video of finals in Atlanta, it kind of hit me hard. I kind of looked at the other two and realized that for the most part, this chapter of my experiences with FIRST is over. Granted, we'll probably be going to IRI, but after that, it's on to mentoring, and I won't be able to have as much of a hands-on experience with that. It'll be the kids' turn to have their fun with the building and programming and animating and everything else that one can do on a FIRST team, and my role will have turned into the role of the person who overlooks things to make sure the kids are doing it all ok, and helping when they need it. Having been active in so many parts of Team Hammond while I've been a member (go team floaters ) it gets me really sad to know this stage has passed.

[Venkatesh]

It is indeed sad when you have to leave FIRST, but it must happen in all walks of life. Do air force generals get to fly F15s anymore? Does Gene Kranz direct Space Shuttle missions? People have to step aside, to give room for the new ones. It was so when almost all of us entered. We were trained and guided so that we could take over when the old legends graduated and/or were displaced in other ways.

When you leave, you can at least take pride in that your work will be immortal, in the hands of new students and future wizards, who all learned their craft from you. Those students will then pass that knowledge on, and your work will have inspired a small legion of people who are forever in debt to your service. That was the greatest part of FIRST to me, teaching and trying to inspire others.

[Pin Man]

Originally Posted by Ryan Albright

After we lost our last match i moved from that classifcation to mentor.

Actually... Technically you are wrong... It wasn't until Dean graduated us that you are a mentor...

In anycase I know what you mean... I feel bad for the seniors because that is it... Its the end of the line as students... and everything will be different... sure you can join with other teams and mentor and all that but still its nothing like when you are a student... Gotta love the times when you got them... I will be a senior next year so I can look forward to atleast one more year... Its going to be an ugly sight after Nationals next year... I'll be a wreck... (but first... we must qualify!)

[RLopez]

Originally Posted by hay4man

Alright guys and gals, here is a news break. FIRST isn't the only activity out there. I am a fellow senior, going to college. For those of us who are going to engineering colleges, I assure you that there will be plenty of opportunities to participate in activities similar to FIRST. They may not be as fun and exciting as FIRST. FIRST is a stepping stone to better, bigger, more important, and challenging tasks. Step out of the small world of FIRST where you build robots that play a game. Step into the world of college and beyond where you design and build anything, anything that this world is in need of. FIRST teaches the scientific/engineering processes, and the dynamics of working in a team. Your participation in FIRST has been preparation for the future. So now that your leaving it, remember it, learn from it, and look forward to a better future because you did it.

NO NO NO!! i want FIRST! hah.. im a dork.. *slaps myself* to all of the seniors this year, i wish you guys all of good luck with your future and hopefully you'll always have FIRST with you

[Lisa Rodriguez]

As a junior, and already seeing 2 AWESOME classes of seniors leave, and about to have another offcially leave (we have banquets @ the end of the year, may) it really makes you think, what happens in life after FIRST. I don't WANT life AFTER FIRST, i want FIRST to be a lifelong thing. Its helped to see some of our alumni graduate and help other FIRST teams, it also gives me hope thta i can also do that! But really, its really gotta stink to sit there and be like, wow i can't drive the robot legally anymore....wow. I know its going to him me next year, and i know that its hit a lot of seniors on our team that they won't be able to have this experience as a high school student again.
But just wondering, is there a list somewhere of all the colleges that help with FIRST teams??

[Tom Schindler]

Originally Posted by Keiko173

Its helped to see some of our alumni graduate and help other FIRST teams, it also gives me hope thta i can also do that! But really, its really gotta stink to sit there and be like, wow i can't drive the robot legally anymore....wow.

I know for a fact that a few of the members of the Bobcats (177) who were on the team in the 97-98 seasons, graduated, and are now working at the sponsor company of 177, UTC Fuel Cells-- so they are back on the team as mentors.

The last day of the championship back in 2002, in Florida, the whole team was heading for the party in Epcot, i stopped as i was exiting the stadium area, and looked back at what i was leaving.... i can still remember exactly how it looks now, and it gives me the chills.

But you are right, it is very different when you can't drive the robot, just make sure you enjoy the stick time while you've got it!! FIRST will be there when you're in college, but make sure you put school and your grades first, this is something i'm struggling with

Best of luck!

Tom