It's still more than just a robot....

Some of the Mentors of Team 4935
I know a lot of people don't understand why I take so much time out of my life to devote to volunteering.  It's not just a way for me to give back, it is a way for me to show others how life changing the organization I volunteer for can be.  12 months a year, I am a volunteer and a mentor.  From September through May, I will put in as many as 30 hours a week volunteering, on TOP of working a full time job.

When I tell people about being a mentor for a robotics team and I tell them that we build competitive robots the very 1st question out of 90% of people's mouths is "Is that like Battlebots?"
Our Demo Bot "Blue"
No.... it's NOT Battlebots Karen...😂. We have approximately 6 weeks to build a maximum 120 lb robot that goes pretty fast and it's got to withstand collisions from OTHER robots, work with 2 other robots in 3 on 3 competition,  be able to perform specific tasks and score as many points as they can in 2 minutes and 30 seconds on a playing field roughly the size of a basketball court. And perform against 30+ other teams just like ours in 15+ matches in a weekend. So....no. Our robot would eat a Battlebot. 

However, FRC or,  FIRST Robotics Competition, is more than just building robots. It's literally akin to a Varsity Sport, and the state of North Carolina is trying to get high school competitive robotics recognized as such. These students can put in more than 500 hours during a single season, all while having to maintain their studies.  FIRST is 80 million dollars in scholarship opportunities for High School seniors that are part of a team. FIRST is finding apprenticeships and paid training and life changing opportunities. 

My son is a 4 year veteran of an FRC team. He learned to code and do it well. One of the proudest moments in his robotics career was winning the Innovation in Control award. 
Innovation in Control Winners

Family

Being a part of Team T-Rex opened the door to a paid technology apprenticeship. 6 months of paid training in coding and software development.  In addition he was taught the value of social capital, soft skills, and even how to navigate a 5 star restaurant! This opportunity led to my son being the youngest Software Engineer ever hired at his company.  His company offers full benefits, retirement and he was able to get employer sponsored insurance because he was an 18 year old with no healthcare coverage.   5 months after he was hired, he was diagnosed with MS.  Since May of 2019, he has had to have Immunosuppressant infusions every 28 days to keep his MS in remission. He has had to have not one, not two, but 3 MRI's of his brain in the past 7 months.  Regular neurology follow up visits.  Specialized lab testing because they have to make sure that something called the JC Virus doesn't become active, because if it does, it can cause something called PML, or Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. (PML) is a rare and often fatal viral disease characterized by progressive damage (-pathy) or inflammation of the white matter (leuko-) of the brain (-encephalo-) at multiple locations (multifocal). (Which as a human being, especially a parent, is scary as &#$%!)



As you can see, this is just a portion of what his treatment costs. Just since May....over $70,000. His last MRI? We owed $40. Imagine if he had no insurance? Or had horrible insurance? Bills like this can and have bankrupted people. Instead, we are blessed beyond measure that the kid who came home at the age of 14 and said he wanted to join the robotics team has gotten the opportunities he has due to FIRST Robotics and Olympic High School.

In addition to my story, I have countless others. Stories of students that have changed the trajectory of their lives. Students that we have mentored that have gotten incredible opportunities.  4 kids from the Class of 2019 that are in paid apprenticeships....that will graduate with not only an Associates Degree, a Journeyman's Apprenticeship Certificate and a Bachelors in an engineering field....and zero college debt.  Graduates that have their own patents before the age of 25. Graduates that have become ambassadors for STEM. Graduates that have become the face of the National Advocacy Foundation. 

So yeah, I get a little passionate when I talk about robotics.  I get a little choked up when I think of where my son might be without robotics. I get hoarse from cheering at every single competition. (My boss has learned that the Monday I come back to work that I'll sound like I swallowed gravel). I get emotional when I see how well my kids are doing, and when they come back to support the program that gave them so much. If you want to know more please visit www.firstinspires.org
13 Alumni students came back for Kickoff this year

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