FIRST Alumni Handbook

PAG E 3 8 FIRST alum Nicki Bonczyk discovered her passion for engineering after joining her FIRST Robotics Competition team in west Michigan . After high school, she studied product design and manufacturing engineering, and while volunteering at a FIRST event, she learned about career opportunities at FIRST sponsor JR Automation. She took an internship and eventually landed a full-time job as a mechanical engineer working on robots (sound familiar?). Recognizing the importance of the skills and passion she developed in those early days on her team, Nicki continues to do her part in making sure other students get the same benefits from FIRST that she did. She encourages her coworkers to join her in volunteering at the many FIRST events in Michigan. She also mentors local teams with her parents. “Volunteering has allowed me to grow my FIRST family in ways I never thought I would,” she says, “and I have one amazing extended family thanks to FIRST !”