In this edition of “This Is How I Work” we have one of the most prominent figures in the FIRST community, Libby Kamen. Many of you know Libby for being a member of FIRST’s founding family and a regular award presenter at the FIRST Championship. However Libby is far more than just a figurehead within FIRST. She’s the founder and an active mentor of FRC 1923, The MidKnight Inventors, as well having been an active college mentor on both Teams 229 and 4124. Within MAR she’s known for her commanding presence as a strategist and drive coach. Today Libby shares her experiences with us of growing up in FIRST, founding a rookie team, staying involved while in college, and how to best handle long distance mentoring. Unfortunately she didn’t reveal any of her secrets when it comes ruining my Jordans. š
– Karthik Kanagasabapathy
– Karthik Kanagasabapathy
[Responses from June 25, 2014]
Name: Libby Kamen
CD Username: Libby K
Current Gig/Job: Graduate student: MS Marketing & Technological Innovation at
WPI
WPI
Alma Mater/Degree: BS Communications & Digital Media, concentration in
Engineering Technology from Clarkson University
Engineering Technology from Clarkson University
Current Team(s):
1923: The MidKnight Inventors, from Plainsboro
NJ
NJ
2006-2009: Team founder, captain, driver,
mechanical lead, you name it.
mechanical lead, you name it.
2010-now:
Proud alumni & continuing mentor in robot design, strategy,
PR/Communications, and community outreach. Oh, and drive coach too. (Basically,
everything but programming. I donāt do the ātypey-typey magicā as we call it.)
Proud alumni & continuing mentor in robot design, strategy,
PR/Communications, and community outreach. Oh, and drive coach too. (Basically,
everything but programming. I donāt do the ātypey-typey magicā as we call it.)
My semi-official title on the team is āDirector
of Everything Elseā.
of Everything Elseā.
Former Team(s): Worked with 229, Division by Zero, during my time at Clarkson,
2010-2013.
2010-2013.
Location: I live in Worcester MA, but every weekend during the build season
I drive home to Princeton NJ to work with 1923 ā and during the weeks of
competition Iām usually bouncing around to different events.
I drive home to Princeton NJ to work with 1923 ā and during the weeks of
competition Iām usually bouncing around to different events.
Hobbies:
Iām admittedly a pretty avid gamer (MMOās are my
main thing, but I enjoy just about everything- for example, Iām currently
obsessed with Hearthstone but I know my dorm-mates from Clarkson have fond
memories of destroying me in Halo), but Iām also in the process of returning to
figure skating after injuries, I love running, and even though Iāve graduated
from every choir/acapella group Iāve been in, I still keep my voice pretty
active (my apartment turns into a concert stage sometimes!)
main thing, but I enjoy just about everything- for example, Iām currently
obsessed with Hearthstone but I know my dorm-mates from Clarkson have fond
memories of destroying me in Halo), but Iām also in the process of returning to
figure skating after injuries, I love running, and even though Iāve graduated
from every choir/acapella group Iāve been in, I still keep my voice pretty
active (my apartment turns into a concert stage sometimes!)
What inspired you to do
what you do? Tell us a story.
what you do? Tell us a story.
Alright, so I guess itās pretty easy to talk
about how I got into FIRST (which helped me find my path) ā my uncle founded
the program, and my entire family works with FIRST in some way, which means
inevitably kid-Libby was going to find her way to events. I loved the robots,
even as a little kid ā and talking to the teams about how they worked only
further sparked my interest in building things.
about how I got into FIRST (which helped me find my path) ā my uncle founded
the program, and my entire family works with FIRST in some way, which means
inevitably kid-Libby was going to find her way to events. I loved the robots,
even as a little kid ā and talking to the teams about how they worked only
further sparked my interest in building things.
The time came for me to hit high school, and my
district didnāt have a team. So I sat down in my principalās office and said
āLook. Weāre GOING to have a FIRST team.ā Not a question. Fortunately he gave
me free rein to make it happen, and 1923 was born. I was a captain as a
freshman, and stayed that way for four years, acting even as administrative
lead when we didnāt have a teacher to help us. The team grew from 4 kids to
25+, and I was crazy proud of the program Iād left behind when I went away to
college. (Fun fact, the 1923 roster now tops out at 105 students from multiple
high schools.) I continued to work with the team from a (really-really-far)
distance at Clarkson University.
district didnāt have a team. So I sat down in my principalās office and said
āLook. Weāre GOING to have a FIRST team.ā Not a question. Fortunately he gave
me free rein to make it happen, and 1923 was born. I was a captain as a
freshman, and stayed that way for four years, acting even as administrative
lead when we didnāt have a teacher to help us. The team grew from 4 kids to
25+, and I was crazy proud of the program Iād left behind when I went away to
college. (Fun fact, the 1923 roster now tops out at 105 students from multiple
high schools.) I continued to work with the team from a (really-really-far)
distance at Clarkson University.
It wasnāt until I got to Clarkson (and my first
few internships) that I realized that while I did love building things and
seeing how they worked, I was also really enjoying our interactions with our
clients and being able to use my writing and creative skills to help translate
what the technical developments meant for our customers. I switched over to the
Communications program my sophomore year, and I never looked back. My MechE
freshman year helped immensely with my concentration in engineering, and that
brought me to the program Iām in now. The goal is to be able to use my STEM
background in combination with my marketing-side creativity to help tell the
world about technology & science. Iāve still got a year left in my Masterās
degree, so this time next year I should be able to talk more about where that
takes me.
few internships) that I realized that while I did love building things and
seeing how they worked, I was also really enjoying our interactions with our
clients and being able to use my writing and creative skills to help translate
what the technical developments meant for our customers. I switched over to the
Communications program my sophomore year, and I never looked back. My MechE
freshman year helped immensely with my concentration in engineering, and that
brought me to the program Iām in now. The goal is to be able to use my STEM
background in combination with my marketing-side creativity to help tell the
world about technology & science. Iāve still got a year left in my Masterās
degree, so this time next year I should be able to talk more about where that
takes me.
What is your day job,
and howād you get there?
and howād you get there?
Right now the answer to that is āfull-time
student with a summer internshipā. Iāve had some really lucky opportunities to
intern at FIRST and DEKA (Deanās āday jobā) in the past, but this summer Iām
trying my hand at something I donāt already know, and interning at a company
called NetBrain Technologies. They offer software that automates network
diagrams and helps network engineers troubleshoot their systems. So far itās a
really interesting challenge since Iām still learning about the technology, but
Iām able to put into practice everything Iām learning in my masters program,
and I love it so far.
student with a summer internshipā. Iāve had some really lucky opportunities to
intern at FIRST and DEKA (Deanās āday jobā) in the past, but this summer Iām
trying my hand at something I donāt already know, and interning at a company
called NetBrain Technologies. They offer software that automates network
diagrams and helps network engineers troubleshoot their systems. So far itās a
really interesting challenge since Iām still learning about the technology, but
Iām able to put into practice everything Iām learning in my masters program,
and I love it so far.
What is your favorite
story to tell about robotics?
story to tell about robotics?
I have about 15 years of conscious memory for
robotics stories, but Iāll TL;DR a few of my favorites.
robotics stories, but Iāll TL;DR a few of my favorites.
1)
When I was a kid, Sally
Ride came to Championship at Epcot. (Yes,
even then it was an international event. Stop calling it Nationals!) I was
insanely lucky that I got to spend time with her ā she was one of my idols
beforehand, and getting that special time with her even as a kid was amazing.
Now, keep in mind I was a pretty sassy kid (not that anythingās changed). So
after a while I drag her by the hand over to my father to introduce them.
āDaddy, this is Miss Sally. Sheās a doctor and an astronaut. YOUāRE just a
Doctor.ā
When I was a kid, Sally
Ride came to Championship at Epcot. (Yes,
even then it was an international event. Stop calling it Nationals!) I was
insanely lucky that I got to spend time with her ā she was one of my idols
beforehand, and getting that special time with her even as a kid was amazing.
Now, keep in mind I was a pretty sassy kid (not that anythingās changed). So
after a while I drag her by the hand over to my father to introduce them.
āDaddy, this is Miss Sally. Sheās a doctor and an astronaut. YOUāRE just a
Doctor.ā
2)
Another really great
moment for me was 1923ās first regional win in 2009. I was a senior, a driver,
and had spent four years fighting to keep the team alive ā being able to get
that gold medal was all the thanks Iād needed for my efforts.
Another really great
moment for me was 1923ās first regional win in 2009. I was a senior, a driver,
and had spent four years fighting to keep the team alive ā being able to get
that gold medal was all the thanks Iād needed for my efforts.
3)
More recently, as Iām
sure most in the FIRST community know, my father (Deanās brother) passed away in 2012. For the 2013 season, my team named the robot RoBART ā and made
a banner and stickers in his memory. I didnāt know about the stickers until their first event, when
people sent me photos. At Championships we made another run of them to hand out
ā and the best moment of the Championship for me was when the kids on my team
came up to me and said āLibby, we did it.ā Did what? āWe put a sticker on every
robot at the Championshipā. Itās things
like that, that explain just how much I love the FIRST community. Weāre one big
family ā and I know it helped my family get through that year. Thank you, all.
It meant so much.
More recently, as Iām
sure most in the FIRST community know, my father (Deanās brother) passed away in 2012. For the 2013 season, my team named the robot RoBART ā and made
a banner and stickers in his memory. I didnāt know about the stickers until their first event, when
people sent me photos. At Championships we made another run of them to hand out
ā and the best moment of the Championship for me was when the kids on my team
came up to me and said āLibby, we did it.ā Did what? āWe put a sticker on every
robot at the Championshipā. Itās things
like that, that explain just how much I love the FIRST community. Weāre one big
family ā and I know it helped my family get through that year. Thank you, all.
It meant so much.
What’s your favorite
robot that you didn’t help build?
robot that you didn’t help build?
I love 1114ās 2008 robot and its 2014 evolution.
254ās robot this year, too. Damn. 1923 has the strategic design stuff down (the
what & the why), but when it comes to actually manufacturing things (the
how) ā we donāt have a machine shop or a machining sponsor. We build in a
donated storefront with whatever we can get. So seeing those robots with those
kinds of resources that are able to just demolish the game challenge is
something our whole team aspires to. Weāre a little more on the
simple-but-usually-sorta-barely-elegant side.
254ās robot this year, too. Damn. 1923 has the strategic design stuff down (the
what & the why), but when it comes to actually manufacturing things (the
how) ā we donāt have a machine shop or a machining sponsor. We build in a
donated storefront with whatever we can get. So seeing those robots with those
kinds of resources that are able to just demolish the game challenge is
something our whole team aspires to. Weāre a little more on the
simple-but-usually-sorta-barely-elegant side.
What apps/software/tools
can’t you live without? (Work/Robotics/Home)
can’t you live without? (Work/Robotics/Home)
So I can pretty much guarantee that Iām gonna be
the weird one here ā I donāt use a whole lot in the way of apps! When it comes
to planning out my to-do list, Iām a big fan of physical paper. I live and die
by my Filofax. Recurring appointments go in my Google Calendar, but
assignments, meetings, calls, you name it ā they all go in my planner.
the weird one here ā I donāt use a whole lot in the way of apps! When it comes
to planning out my to-do list, Iām a big fan of physical paper. I live and die
by my Filofax. Recurring appointments go in my Google Calendar, but
assignments, meetings, calls, you name it ā they all go in my planner.
However, for all the distance-mentoring
collaboration, we love Google Drive, Hangouts, and Dropbox.
collaboration, we love Google Drive, Hangouts, and Dropbox.
What’s your workspace
setup like? (Work/Robotics/Home)
setup like? (Work/Robotics/Home)
Work: Pretty standard cubicle. Laptop, second
monitor, keyboard, mouse, phone. Iām only here for the summer, so I havenāt
done anything super fantastic with it. There are post-its EVERYWHERE, and
thatās about as decorated as it gets.
monitor, keyboard, mouse, phone. Iām only here for the summer, so I havenāt
done anything super fantastic with it. There are post-its EVERYWHERE, and
thatās about as decorated as it gets.
Home: Since Iām a graduate student, I spend a
lot of time at my laptop writing or working on assignments. While I can do that
from anywhere, I really like having a dedicated space in my apartment thatās
just for work (and sometimes ā okay, often ā gaming.) Itās nothing particularly
pretty to look at, but my apartment came with this little den/nook thing, so
Iāve transformed that into my āchill zoneā. I put string lights up so thereās
some warm light, I keep my desk obnoxiously clear of stuff ā laptop, to-do-list
post-it, mouse, and whatever book or paper Iām working with. Iām notorious for
not being able to work in a cluttered space ā to the point where Iād clean my
entire house top to bottom in college before I felt like I could get to work.
Once my space around me is clear I can buckle down and work on whatās in front
of me.
lot of time at my laptop writing or working on assignments. While I can do that
from anywhere, I really like having a dedicated space in my apartment thatās
just for work (and sometimes ā okay, often ā gaming.) Itās nothing particularly
pretty to look at, but my apartment came with this little den/nook thing, so
Iāve transformed that into my āchill zoneā. I put string lights up so thereās
some warm light, I keep my desk obnoxiously clear of stuff ā laptop, to-do-list
post-it, mouse, and whatever book or paper Iām working with. Iām notorious for
not being able to work in a cluttered space ā to the point where Iād clean my
entire house top to bottom in college before I felt like I could get to work.
Once my space around me is clear I can buckle down and work on whatās in front
of me.
What do you listen to
while you work?
while you work?
At work, I wonāt listen to anything, just
because my office isnāt really an environment where you can tune everyone out.
The marketing team is constantly chitchatting (about work, and about
regular-life stuff) so itās been fun to be a part of that for the summer. At home, it kind of depends on what Iām
working on. For homework, Iāll usually throw on something without words ā like
a good video game soundtrack, or instrumental cover playlists on YouTube. If
Iām just messing around with personal projects or playing video games, anything
goes. Iām a big believer in āput my entire library on shuffle and see what
happensā.
because my office isnāt really an environment where you can tune everyone out.
The marketing team is constantly chitchatting (about work, and about
regular-life stuff) so itās been fun to be a part of that for the summer. At home, it kind of depends on what Iām
working on. For homework, Iāll usually throw on something without words ā like
a good video game soundtrack, or instrumental cover playlists on YouTube. If
Iām just messing around with personal projects or playing video games, anything
goes. Iām a big believer in āput my entire library on shuffle and see what
happensā.
Whatās your schedule
like during build season?
like during build season?
Ha. This oneās fun. During the week, Iām at
school in MA. Going to classes, doing my homework, skating, going to the gym,
gaming, whatever. Come Friday, I pack up some clothes & my laptop, and I
put the dog in the car and drive about 4 hours home to NJ. Sometimes itās a
short drive, and sometimes thereās a snowpocalypse and traffic and it takes me
6 hours to get home. I get home, leave the dog at my momās, and then we both
head over to the build site.
school in MA. Going to classes, doing my homework, skating, going to the gym,
gaming, whatever. Come Friday, I pack up some clothes & my laptop, and I
put the dog in the car and drive about 4 hours home to NJ. Sometimes itās a
short drive, and sometimes thereās a snowpocalypse and traffic and it takes me
6 hours to get home. I get home, leave the dog at my momās, and then we both
head over to the build site.
Friday weāll work as late as the students feel
up to it, with the college-age mentors keeping the site open. Weāll drive
students home, and pick up again Saturday mid-morning. Same deal on Saturdays,
where weāre up as late as we can stand it ā and then those who can come in on
Sunday, do. We close the build site Sunday after dinner and I head back to
Massachusetts, leaving behind a pretty comprehensive to-do list for the week.
Rinse & repeat until Ship Weekend. (Iāll always call it that.)
up to it, with the college-age mentors keeping the site open. Weāll drive
students home, and pick up again Saturday mid-morning. Same deal on Saturdays,
where weāre up as late as we can stand it ā and then those who can come in on
Sunday, do. We close the build site Sunday after dinner and I head back to
Massachusetts, leaving behind a pretty comprehensive to-do list for the week.
Rinse & repeat until Ship Weekend. (Iāll always call it that.)
What everyday thing are
you better at than anyone else?
you better at than anyone else?
I once killed a fly with a nerf gun in my
college dorm room. So thereās that.
college dorm room. So thereās that.
My mom and I are also really good at calling out
what the song is within a few notes of it starting. Sheās the Human Jukebox,
Iām just her apprentice.
what the song is within a few notes of it starting. Sheās the Human Jukebox,
Iām just her apprentice.
Iām not really sure Iām ābetterā than anyone
else at something, other than just being me. Thatās probably a really cheesy
cop-out, but whatever.
else at something, other than just being me. Thatās probably a really cheesy
cop-out, but whatever.
What’s the best advice
you’ve ever received?
you’ve ever received?
āYou donāt dance unless you hear music, and you
donāt pull out your guns unless you need them.ā
donāt pull out your guns unless you need them.ā
Obviously not a true statement on dance habits
or gun control, but for me itās a really important reminder to try and act when
itās needed and when it matters, rather than react before somethingās even an issue.
or gun control, but for me itās a really important reminder to try and act when
itās needed and when it matters, rather than react before somethingās even an issue.
What is your favorite guilty
pleasure?
pleasure?
Iām not sure if I really have anything too
āguiltyā on here- Iām not apologetic about the things I enjoy. Iāve got a crazy
travel schedule during the season (and even during the summer/fall), so to me,
being able to disconnect even during one weekend is a luxury I often feel
guilty about. Iām always checking my phone- Iām an admitted social media
addict, especially when it comes to things I love like #omgrobots, so being
able to say goodbye to the outside world for a day or two just to have some
āmeā time feels like Iām stealing away. Itās intensely needed, and itās
awesome.
āguiltyā on here- Iām not apologetic about the things I enjoy. Iāve got a crazy
travel schedule during the season (and even during the summer/fall), so to me,
being able to disconnect even during one weekend is a luxury I often feel
guilty about. Iām always checking my phone- Iām an admitted social media
addict, especially when it comes to things I love like #omgrobots, so being
able to say goodbye to the outside world for a day or two just to have some
āmeā time feels like Iām stealing away. Itās intensely needed, and itās
awesome.
Fill in the blank. I’d
love to see ________ answer these same questions.
love to see ________ answer these same questions.
FRCās very own Frank Merrick. Heās so awesome
about being open with the FIRST community, and I think itād be cool to see
inside a sliver of his day at HQ.
about being open with the FIRST community, and I think itād be cool to see
inside a sliver of his day at HQ.
Anything else you want people
to know about you?
to know about you?
I am, and will always be ā an open book online. I can be found on
Twitter, Facebook,
tumblr, whatever ā you name it, and Iām always up for a
chat with someone from our awesome community. This crazy little robot family is
such a big part of my life, so Iām happy to just strike up a chat with someone
new. I donāt bite, I promise!
tumblr, whatever ā you name it, and Iām always up for a
chat with someone from our awesome community. This crazy little robot family is
such a big part of my life, so Iām happy to just strike up a chat with someone
new. I donāt bite, I promise!
“You get in life what you have the courage to ask for” – Oprah Winfrey
