[stefanpie]

Although I never committed to my high school's FRC team, the approximately half year I was in it was invaluable to me due to one of the senior students in charge of the electronics sub-team. They realized I was eager for anyone to teach me about advanced electronics and embedded systems. I think most people who joined were hardcore into mechanical or programming, and I was the only socially awkward freshman who wanted to join the seemingly "boring" electronics sub-team. That half-semester of after-school mentoring really added to my motivation and confidence for other pursuits I would later pursue in high school.

Suffice it to say, FRC and other precollegiate STEAM competitions like it are some of the best opportunities I've witnessed for younger people to get hands-on experience with engineering.