FIRST Inspires: My Story

Building STEM culture in Compton
Michael Kurinsky
Administrator of Educational Services-Secondary, Compton Unified School District

Transformative learning through robotics
Melissa Jackson
Grants Manager, Boys and Girls Haven, Kentucky

Strategies for creating STEM engagement opportunities in high-poverty schools
STEM Equity Grantees
FIRST School Districts

I’m building leadership skills as a FIRST mentor
Max Goldstein
FIRST Alum & Mentor

Teacher inspires a culture change through high school robotics and crowdfunding
Monique Dituri
FIRST Robotics Competition Mentor & STEM Teacher, Clifton High School, NJ

I’m still learning new job skills as a FIRST mentor
Rachel Clark
FIRST Alum and Mentor

FIRST builds my students into leaders
Sherry Comer
Camdenton R-III Afterschool Services Director & FIRST Mentor

FIRST mentors change students’ lives
D. Scott Heister
Mentor, FIRST Robotics Competition Team 66 “Grizzly Robotics”; Ypsilanti STEMM Middle College Director, Michigan

FIRST mentor leads students into brighter futures
Chelsey Roebuck
FIRST Alum, FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1218; Mentor, FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1660; Co-founder, Emerging Leaders in Technology and Engineering (ELiTE)
FIRST helped me gain confidence to launch a manufacturing startup
Max Friefeld
FIRST Alum, FIRST Robotics Competition Team 687; Co-founder, Voodoo Manufacturing

FIRST inspired my high school to invest in young engineers
Jeremy Shikarides
FIRST Alum, Volunteer, & Mentor

Grant partnership helps break down barriers to STEM access in First Nations communities
Alberta Distance Learning Center
FIRST STEM Community

FIRST inspires Cleveland’s championship team
Youth Technology Academy
FIRST Robotics Competition Team 120 “Cleveland’s Team,” Cleveland, Ohio

University’s FIRST Center becomes community STEM hub
Bob Nichols
Director, FIRST Robotics Community Center at Kettering University

Grant funding supports STEM engagement at Detroit youth recreation center
S.A.Y. Detroit Play Center
FIRST STEM Community