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The FIRST Tech Challenge season is in full swing, and we know teams are working hard preparing for competition. We�d like to also remind you that in most states, the Dean�s List nominations are still open! If you have an exceptional 10 th or 11 th grade student, consider nominating them today. The impact of a student being recognized by their peers is life changing. We�d like to share some awesome stories from some of our Dean�s List Semi-finalists and Finalists over the years, and what the Dean�s List meant to them! Daniel Shorr � 2015-2016 Dean�s List Semi-Finalist �I was a Semi-finalist two years ago in the midst of my FIRST Tech Challenge career (Team 417, Woodinville WA). In short, a Dean�s List nomination gave me both the confidence and recognition to relentlessly pursue robotics and my academics. As a freshman studying mechanical engineering here at Stanford, I think it has certainly paid off. I carry the lessons and experience I�ve been fortunate enough to come across in FI...

When I was a kid, we lived on a road that led from the highway to the fairgrounds, so the last week in August we haunted the front porch waiting to see the onslaught of vendor and ride trucks hurry past. At the fairgrounds, we would stand out of the way and watch empty fields turn into a magical world of tents, booths, animal stalls, and of course, rides! Then for five days the field became its own world, bustling with lights, noise, and energy that we lived within during the day and could see and hear from our bedroom window each night. And then, on Tuesday morning, they were all gone, having packed up and crept away in the middle of the night to head off to other fairs and events. The absence of that temporary world was always palpable for a few days as we re-emerged from its magic into the real world and preparations for the first day of school. If you have ever attended a FIRST Tech Challenge event, then you have also experienced a magical world called the FTC Pits. Physically, ...