Posted by Dan Baker at 04/09/2001 3:39 PM EST
Student on team #365, Miracle Workerz, from Avon Grove High School and Dupont .
As a senior in high school with my high school career drawling to a close, I am apt to reflect back over my different expierences and activies in which I was invloved. When doing this I find that the First Robotics competition is probably the most powerful and rewarding thing I have ever done. I am hard pressed to find another thing in my life that even comes close to what I have learned, accomplished and expierienced over the last 6 months.
A great part of this is because of the work and inspiration of the engineers on my team. These people have given their heart, time and inreadible minds to helping us learn and do something complelty wonderful. Of notable mention are John and Joe, two men whom I hold the highest degree of respect. These two individuals have become role models, people one could only hope to aspire to. I thank you two and the rest of the Dupont Engineers for changing my life and the way I think.
The competition was amazing, it mixed together every aspect of the human existence. There was the obvious technical side, building and working on things to achieve a goal. There was the diplomatic side, trying to get your team known and helping other along the way. Everyone worked together for a common goal, sometimes things went well, many times they didn’t. The competition was full of passion, excitement, joy and sorrow. There was the thrill of sucess and the agony of defeat.
But it was a very watered down version of defeat
because in the end, everyone really won. I know I’ve rolled my eyes in the past when I’ve heard this said however now I really understand why its true. This expierence has been so amazing and uplifitng, that it changes people and makes them even better.
I also would like to take this opportunity to thank our alliance partners, you guys were absoultly increadible. Those matches were some of the most exciting I’ve watched and putting that national chapionship metal around my neck was the most sureal and awe inspring moment of my life.
My only regret now is that I am a senior and that this will be my last year on the team as a student. Unfortunitly the school I will be attending next year does not have a team, so i’m just going to have to start one. My reasons for starting one our somewhat selfish however, I just want to be able to continue my involvment.
On that note I end this already morbidaly obease post. I would like to finish by saying thank you to Dean, the FIRST foundation, Disney, all the teams of students and engineers and of course John, Joe, Mary, Vince, Lou, Bob, Tom, George, Jim, Bill, and Jim Portar. You have all truley changed my life.
-Dan Baker
Team 365
Go MOE!!