Ok, so where did robotics fit in to all of this outdoor stuff? My dad was also an engineer in addition to being an Eagle Scout so growing up my dad seemed to know anything and everything. I really wanted to be the same way when I grew up. I loved science and was pretty good at math. It was my time on the farm that led to my love of animals which set me on a path to dreaming of being a veterinarian. You know, so that I could help all the animals one day. Well, all it took was one gorey encounter with a local horse at my uncle’s vet clinic to crush that dream. I decided I loved animals but that I unfortunately could not physically be the one to save them from medical problems.
One day during my freshman year of high school a guy I knew told me that he was a member of our high school’s robotics team and that I should check it out. Robotics sounded a little intimidating. I didn’t know anything about robotics. He told me that I didn’t need to know anything about robots and that the team has local engineers that donate their time to teach students everything they need to know. Since it sounded
like there
was nothing to lose I decided to check it out. When I got there, it was like nothing I ever expected. There was something weird about this robotics team. They were not just building robots they were in the process of building a community that celebrated problem solving through fun and exciting youth programs.
On this team I was able to: teach elementary school students how to build and program LEGO robots, make presentations to companies on the impact our high school robotics team has on the community, learn how machining equipment works and even earn an internship before graduating high school. My experience on this robotics team led to me getting my bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and working for several major engineering companies. Long after graduati
ng from my team I realized the most valuable skills I gained were not technical but skills related to public speaking, networking, business and marketing. With all of this being said, I am not sure I will ever be able to truly thank all the people that took time out of their lives to mentor me and so many others. I decided the best I could do to show my appreciation was to become a mentor myself. You can read about my adventures as a high school robotics team mentor here!
