StudentsFIRST - Improving FIRST

My name is Robin Lee. I am a high school student and the founder and president of StudentsFIRST.

We are not affiliated with FIRST.

We are a group of students committed to improving FIRST by advocating for positive change and giving the community a forum to share and discuss ideas. We seek to improve FIRST by harnessing the community's insights and turn them into concrete proposals.

Our long term goal is to address the growing cynicism that is a natural consequence of a competitive system where mentor-built robots masquerade as student-built robots and participants are required to pretend they don't know this is going on. We don't believe this is the intent of gracious professionalism or coopertition, both ideals we hold dear and we hope will never become meaningless platitudes.

I hope you'll consider joining us. Anyone who advocates for change has a hard road ahead of them. It's easy for organizations to look at reformers and see an enemy and the instinct to crush or banish dissenters is a powerful one. Purging a voice you disagree with is often easier and less frightening than change. We need your help!

We believe in thoughtful reform rooted in cooperation and empathy. Your donation will help us approach FIRST bearing flowers and olive branches.

We need your help and if you want to join us, you're in. Check out our webpage at www.studentsFIRST.tech.

Please be aware that there have been instances of retaliation against people and organizations that have donated to us in the past. Students from Jackson High and Newport High robotics teams have digitally and physically vandalized my sponsors. I urge you to donate anonymously. We're trying to change things and that can bring out the worst in people sometimes.

I don't believe in retribution, but I do believe we have to keep peacefully pressing forward. We don't have any enemies, we have people who don't yet realize that we're friends.

Thank you.