You may ask yourself, "Isn't this a professional portfolio? What's FIRST and why is there a page just for it? And how is this website able to read my mind?!?!"
Founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST® is a global nonprofit organization that prepares young people for the future through a suite of life-changing youth robotics programs that build skills, confidence, and resilience. You can read more about them from their own website, https://www.firstinspires.org/ .
I would not be as passionate about STEM and Technology Education if it were not for FIRST. Any understanding of who I am as an educator and technologist would be incomplete without acknowledging how FIRST has shaped me and allows me to shape the next generation. I started as a student way way back in 2000, and continue to volunteer my time with the organization today.
In 2023, I was highlighted in the FIRST blog in their People of STEAM Series. I love using FIRST to help students see they can excel in whatever tasks they set their minds to.
During the 2022 FIRST Tech Challenge Championship, I was the Game Announcer for the last Finals match in a best two-out-of-three contest.
In April 2021, I was interviewed by The Robocorns, a FIRST Tech Challenge Team out of Downingtown, PA for their series Robocorn Rewind - Career Connections.
I have served as a Master of Ceremonies and Game Announcer at various levels, including FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship in St. Louis, Detroit, and Houston. This 2019 clip from Robozone, a competitive robotics news show based in Michigan, showcases the FIRST Tech Challenge.