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40 PCB007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2023 ufacturing space), and FIRST robot- ics, which opens students' minds to the world of mechatronics. ese organizations are providing students with exciting opportunities that lead toward incredible careers in STEM. Before I joined my high school's FIRST robotics team, I had no idea what an engineer was. I thought an engineer was a super-brained rocket scientist, and I was incredibly intim- idated by the thought of becoming someone like that. But as soon as I joined the robotics team, I found out that engineering is a way for real people to solve some of the world's most challenging problems by cre- ating the change they want to see in our world. My FIRST robotics men- tors showed me this; they were real people solving real problems in my community. My mentors had faith in my abilities to design and build a robot that would crush the competi- tion, even when I was sometimes dis- couraged by my abilities. is faith led me to explore an electrical engi- neering major in college, where I believe I took on some of our world's most challenging prob- lems. Without the mentors who volunteered their time with our robotics team, I may have never studied engineering or have been given the opportunity to advocate for the next gen- eration of engineers. Important points to remember when think- ing about volunteering: 1. Why do you want to volunteer? e first step toward volunteering is finding out why you want to do it. Are you seeking to make a difference within your workspace? Is there something you've noticed within your job that needs to change? Do you want to give back to your community? Maybe you noticed something that needs to change, and you want to be the one to make a change. Your answers given the opportunity to learn and create a real change in their specialty; they provide a new perspective within the manufacturing space. Volunteering within the manufacturing space does not need to be limited to renovating standards, however; inspiring the next genera- tion of engineers is an excellent way to create change within our STEM world. With today's ever-changing technology, a stronger work- force is more important than ever before. We are in dire need of a generation of innovators to create the "factory of the future." How will this generation come about? I believe volunteering is one of the most pow- erful ways to spark interest in the minds of our youth. Some organizations have positioned themselves at the forefront of helping youth in STEM fields, including the IPC Education Foundation (which puts students into the man- Hannah Nelson (front row, second from right) with her high school FIRST robotics team. Her mentors' faith in her abilities to design and build a robot led her to explore an electrical engineering major in college.