“Personally, being able to visit the Space Center was an experience of a lifetime. I’ve never been able to see spacecraft before so to get that opportunity was just jaw dropping. I didn’t realize before just how big some of these rockets could get.” - Micaela House

 

“I’d say being able to meet Woodie Flowers at the Monterey Bay Regional and Dean Kamen at World Championships was amazing. They’re both inspiring individuals and I’m so glad I got the chance to meet and talk to both of them about my passions.” - Kyle Bend

 

“I think World's was a great thing for this team because it not only showed us the possibilities of FIRST but was possibly one of the greatest challenges and learning experiences our team has ever faced. Other than World's my greatest memory from this season was the first time our robot has successfully climbed. So thank you for the great experiences and memories you gave me at worlds and i hope you will continue to support us for years to come.” - Dylan Mann

 

“I would say that at World's, I had fun meeting people from all over the world. I was able to see unique and innovative designs for robots that worked incredibly well, and it gave me new insights on how we could approach our designs for the coming season. At World's, I was able to witness the most efficient ways to run a team, and was also able to work with my own team to remodel our current team structure. My most memorable experience was watching the Einstein Finals, as I got to witness 973 defeat long-time champions 254.” - Reem Elyas

 

“Houston world championship was an eye opening experience for me. I got to see the scope of the FIRST community internationally as well as enjoy the competitive atmosphere. The experiences I had at the world championship have inspired me to pursue robotics more passionately next season and beyond.” - James Dodson

 

“I think that the most memorable part of the trip to the World Championships was the final match between 254’s alliance and 1323’s alliance and the speeches/acknowledgements because this was when I realized how large the FRC community was and how much effort everyone in the finals put into their robot. I began to see how many talented individuals surrounded me and how much passion everyone had for robotics.” - Cristobal Velazquez

 

“Houston was a truly jaw-dropping experience. I’m so glad I got the chance to attend a worlds event. The whole experience was truly spectacular, from the expanse of the convention center and Minute Maid Stadium to the fireworks, The Johnson Space Center, NASA’s Modular Robotics Vehicle. Other than the pits of 400+ teams, my first real clue as to how big this event was the quarter mile walk to our arena. There were 6 fields total in the main expanse of a room. Every time we would cart the robot to and from our arena, we would see robots and teams from all over the nation and from countries all over the world. I’ve never experienced anything so massive before.” - Riley Mann

 

“World’s was possibly the scariest and most exciting time of my life. Most of my competitions were with familiar teams in some school’s gym, so the massive scale and ocean of new people felt the same as starting life over as a toddler. Over the week I got used to it all, but it felt and still feels intimidating. It was also the most rewarding part of my entire senior year. After working with my team for about 6 years (started in middle school), this was our first World’s ever, and it was more grand and fantastical than I had ever dreamed it would be. World's meant a lot to me and the team.” - Jaden Keller

 

“My favorite part was getting to explore the space center, and seeing all the things I used to study as a kid. It brought back a bunch of memories from when I was into astronomy in elementary and middle school.” - Andrew Salopek