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Attention astronauts , we have an important update to the current mission at hand. The Dean�s List Award recognizes the leaders and ambassadors from each FIRST Tech Challenge Team. It awards the Captain Kirk�s in our world today. The Dean�s List Award first took off in 2010, when Dean Kamen himself realized that for FIRST to fulfill its mission of inspiring youth, he needed leaders that exemplify the core values of FIRST who could help spread the word and fuel the mission of FIRST . These leaders are the captains of their own destinies, ignoring the limitations set by space. They would consist of students already inspired by FIRST programs to make sure that generations to come are able to experience the positive impact of FIRST . As with the Dean�s List program that may already be in your school, the FIRST Dean�s List identifies the captains within FIRST who will fuel the mission we work to uphold. Each FIRST Tech Challenge team can nominate up to two students who are in the 10 th...

Photo credit: Scott W. Nichols from the The Webb School �What do you want to be when you grow up?� Who hasn�t been asked that a million times by adults? And when we were little, we would answer that question with whatever felt right to us in the moment: �Unicorn.� �Fire fighter.� �Astronaut.� "Superhero" �Ballerina.� �Doctor.� "Teacher." And we knew in our heart that we could be the thing we wanted to be, and more often than not we were encouraged to pursue our dreams. And when our dreams changed, we wholeheartedly pursued the new dream. And then one day the question became harder to answer. Why? We live, we learn, and we start to judge what our heart wants as attainable or not based on our beliefs about ourselves and our ability to achieve the dream. A boy dreaming of being a ballerina might only see pictures of girl ballerinas and develop the belief that boys can�t be ballerinas. Or a girl might dream of being an astronaut until someone says, �Girls with glasses...

Hi there! Michelle Long, FIRST HQ  Alumni and Scholarships Programs Manager here again. And I have some questions for you: Are you a current or former FIRST Student? Have you joined the FIRST Alumni Network group on LinkedIn? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?!! Join us and connect on a professional-level with other FIRST Alumni from around the world - we have raffles every few months, and group-member-only opportunities. To request membership, go to  https://www.linkedin.com/�/FIRST-Alumni-Network-81984�/about  , it's free and easy! All you need is a LinkedIn account (don't have one, see these handy quick-start tips ) and then answer a few quick questions. Also, make sure to join us for an Alumni and Scholarships Programs Q&A on Twitter @ftcteams on Wednesday, July 1 at 12:30pm ET!

In 2007, Joseph Ronan, then a high school student from the American School for the Deaf, made the decision to join a FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team and take part in his first competition season. He wanted to challenge himself to do something different while having fun. Being deaf was no barrier for Joseph while on the team, nor when he made the transition from FTC participant to FIRST volunteer for Connecticut FIRST Tech Challenge . Although nervous when he first started out, Ronan explained how exciting it was to come to an FTC competition as a volunteer. His former teacher encouraged him to join the volunteer community and starting in 2011, he joined as a Referee. His dedication to the program flourished, and soon he moved from the role of Referee to Head Referee in 2015. Ronan did not expect �to become the first Deaf Head Referee in the FTC program.� He was shocked and excited to be called out at �the FTC event on February 7, 2015 at opening ceremony.� It is not just break...