Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1464867
56 PCB007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2022 The First Step to Upskilling is FIRST-skilling by Barry Matties I was invited to attend the FIRST PNW dis- trict championship competition in Salem, Ore- gon, this past March. Friends of ours, Dylan and Cardin Nguyen, are team members on West Linn High School's FIRST robotic team named "2B Determined." As they say, "Team 7034, 2B Determined, is determined to inspire stu- dents in science, engineering, and technology while developing individual skills and charac- ter. Our team strives to be role models in the community, engaging every student and chal- lenging ourselves and others through collab- orative learning and problem-solving, mak- ROBOTICS TEAM SPECIAL REPORT ing a positive impact on each other, the city of West Linn, and beyond." Over the past several months Dylan and Cardin have shared with me their team's prog- ress and excitement about being a part of this team. Dylan has been thrilled to be engineer- ing and craing parts using 3D printing and CNC tools, as well as finishing the metal parts with a powder coat. Meanwhile, Cardin has been busy coding the soware the team would use to drive the robot. It's so easy to see the positive impact FIRST has had on these two students.