FRC Team 2010
The Lightning Bots

I joined [the team] my freshman year of high school, and my life changed completely from there. FIRST not only provided me with an environment that I could actively learn and grow in, but it provided me with a family. I was voted team captain my junior year, and it was then that I realized how much I loved helping students learn new skills. It was ultimately my time in this team captain position that really drove me to pursue a career in Adolescent Education. When I graduated from high school, I came back as a mentor. I had to come back! I had to make sure that every student that came through the high school had the same opportunity that I did. To this day, I consider mentoring for FRC one of my most important jobs. FIRST gave me a home, gave me confidence, and helped me find my purpose.

“The FIRST program has greatly impacted my life. I joined the team my freshman year in high school and it really put me on the path I’m on today. The program… really piqued my interest in Mechanical Engineering [which] I’m currently attending YSU for. Without the program, I would have never gotten a lot of the skills I have today, like being able to work hands on with tools… my speaking skills… valuable leadership experience, and even experience in solid modeling. All and all, the team greatly effected my life; I’m still actively a part of the team, trying to give back to a program that gave so much to me.”