What brought you to FIRST or FIRST Chesapeake? I got pulled into FIRST in 2001 when my oldest joined an FRC team, became a mentor on Team 007 and was recruited into the first class of Senior Mentors. During the roll-out of the FIRST Chesapeake District model, I helped with figuring out how to scale up the event volunteer plan. I took a break from FRC for a couple of years and then came back to support  FIRST Chesapeake. 

What is your best memory of being a part of FIRST ? There are so many. I've been fortunate to meet hundreds of people through FIRST .  I have received thank you notes that have made me realize how incredibly fortunate I am.

What was your favorite FIRST game challenge and why? For many of the past 15 years, I have worked with all 4 programs. Honestly, the games are all a blur.

 

What was your most interesting or oddest job?   I've had a lot of really cool jobs. I talk about many of them HERE during a "How I Work" interview. (and I see that even though that interview was from 2013 - I am talking about not shaking hands!)  But the job that seems to interest people a lot is my stint as a "Descriptive Analyst" for a large international company, AKA, a taste tester. I'm pretty good at picking up smells and tastes  - and describing them.

 

What do you wish you could tell your younger self? Don't worry about not fitting in and remember, not everyone is going to "like" you. It doesn't matter in the big picture.

What are you doing with your spare time? Cleaning out stuff, especially FIRST stuff. Does anyone want 15 years of FIRST event badges/lanyards?

 

What is one thing you'd like to see happen with FIRST Chesapeake that you haven't had time to do? More resources and guidance to help the hardworking Volunteer Coordinators.