The Tuesday night expo hall reception featured the F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Team comprised of local youth who have an affinity for technology. The mission of the program is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
The team reached the Semi-Finals with the robot they built that launches Frisbees. The kids showcased their robot on the expo floor and even let some of the attendees drive the robot which was a huge success with Vision’s functional IT crowd. In addition to showing off their robot, the kids spent the evening telling attendees about F.I.R.S.T. Robotics, and many attendees were excited to go home and tell their own children about the program.
Stephen Gillett and his family were in attendance, and presented the F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Team with a check from Symantec for $5,000.00. To add to the excitement, SymMan made a surprise visit and greeted all the kids in the Expo Hall. The kids loved SymMan, and my favorite quote from one of them was, “Cool! Look at his jet pack!” However, I think the adult attendees may have enjoyed SymMan even more than the kids. SymMan spent about an hour patrolling the Expo Hall and taking pictures with the attendees. SymMan’s presence made a huge impact on the reception, as he assured everyone that he was protecting the world’s people and information, one day at a time.