I am not posting my own feelings here, I was just asked by a good friend to post this for them so they could share there thoughts with everyone anonymously.
WARNING: Any thing that is in this attached document has nothing to do with me, my personal experiences or any one from my team, like i said before this is some one I am friends with and wanted to post this but didn’t want to offend anyone by having there team number on it.
So I was asked to post this for people to read so here it is:
That’s an awesome post. It really shows the individual aspect of FIRST, which I think gets lost a lot. There’s the obvious teamwork and friendships and all the things that FIRST promotes put into that essay, and it’s, to me, a great example of what FIRST is. My favorite quote, by far, is:
FIRST is changing the world, it’s bringing our generation just what it needs. Friendship, Guidance, Education, Help and it’s helping us guide our lives, instead of our lives guiding us.
It’s so true, and I hope that notion never leaves each and every participant of the program.
That’s beautiful. This is a true example of what FIRST is about. I hope the writer of this steps forward, because (1) s/he is a great writer and (2) s/he gets it
Thank you Kyle for posting something like this in a time of such heated debate on Chief Delphi. Something like this is great for reflecting on what FIRST is about.
Please forward my congratulations. It is such a great moment when the light first turns for someone. But when someone can eloquently express their joy in the experience we share, it is truly a special event. Thanks for sharing this touching and real account of what many of us find in this program. You have told one of the best stories about FIRST and thankfully not a unique one. I am so sorry you lost to us in the 2003 finals, I hope we were gracious winners.
I’ve had the privilege of reading, hearing, and living many of these stories in the past five years. I must say that this one deserves a place in the FIRST Testimonial Hall of Fame (if there was such a place :)). Congratulations (Kyle, pass this along), and I hope in the years to come you will continue to share your story because it is truly inspiring.
Im a 5 year member of first, and i can say with all my heart, that i love this program, and it is the best feeling in the world to see other people truely recognize the value in the program. I hope you decide to step forward, because i would love to express my appreciation of your essay, personally.
I’m glad someone took the time to post this and show the true beauty of FIRST even though there is such debate going on with the competitions this year. VERY NICE!!!
Truly a beautifully fantastic piece! I know that myself and so many others can relate to your experiences and feelings about FIRST and that so many more will be inspired by your words. Thank you so very much for writing this.
now i’m know that i’m not the only one that sees first that way. It’s a great piece that really explains what FIRST is from the ground up, and how its not always about the robot
what a great essay… it’s very touching and moving…whom ever wrote this great job! and i believe it has touched all of us that have read it. it’s great to hear how FIRST has impacted each others lives. i second the thought about FIRST being the holy grail. when times are bad with the team trying to finish up or whatever the issue i just always just think how great FIRST is and the chance i get to participate. FIRST is not just about building robots but something even greater and another person sees this and that’s just great. together we’ll continue in FIRST building robots, friendships and knowledge.
thanks kyle too for posting it…tell that person it’s great and don’t stay in the shadows cause it’s a great piece and round of applause for a great job again!!
Some of them are as good as the story attached here. We are also encouraging teams to collect more stories like this for similar purposes in their regions. If this made you fell FIRST is special, imagine what it can do for recruitment, gaining a sponsor, getting a school district on board.
Couple these stories with the wonderful data and facts available at the FIRST Resourse Center at www.usfirst.org and you have an awesome package that really explains what FIRST is about.
That story held so many parallels for me, and after just one year in FIRST I realize that these experiences will stick with me forever. I cannot see myself living a life without FIRST in the near future.
Wow, what an amazing piece of writing. Probably the best I’ve seen so far in my three years of being a FIRSTer. I want to give this person a big hug, because they understand FIRST. They get it.
I’m one of the only few people on my team that get FIRST, and I’m so glad people left and right on other teams are finally reaching the point of understanding. Way to go!
There really isn’t much else to say after all these posts but I’ll take a stab anyways. That was a wonderfully written essay that final puts down on paper what I, and I am sure many other people, feel about FIRST. It is this feeling that keeps the Holy Grail alive and continuing to grow. The author of this piece should be extremely proud of what he or she has written. It is fantastic and I agree with every part of it. Congratulations! Thank you, Kyle for sharing this piece with all of us.
Thank you to whoever wrote this essay, because you have summed up what I have been tyring to say for three years. This is what I can show all of those who say to me “So what? It’s just a robot- I don’t get why you love it so much.” This is pretty much summing up (again) what everyone else has said, but it was wonderful and I hope s/he comes forward and takes pride in putting the right perspective on FIRST and all of its participants.
