From the archive
Memories
Stories from FIRST® in Texas — the volunteers, teams and students
who built the seasons before this one.
For sixteen years the programs in this state were run by FIRST® in Texas, an independent organization of staff, contractors and a great many volunteers. In 2026 that work came back inside FIRST itself, as FIRST Texas. The people did not change. The seasons did not change. But the website that carried the record of them is being switched off.
These 51 stories were on it. They are spotlights, mostly — a volunteer who has judged for a decade, a team that found a way to pay for its season, a student explaining what a robot taught them, an alum describing where it led. Between them they cover 2014 to 2026, which is longer than the old site itself admitted: its final move stamped most of these with the day they were migrated rather than the day they were written.
They were recovered from the Internet Archive and kept here, as close to how they were published as we could manage. Nobody wrote them for a history page. They read better for it.
Some of this is incomplete, and you can help.
Every story now carries the date it was actually published, from 2014 to 2026, and only 20 of the 57 photographs these stories referenced were ever captured by the archive. The rest exist now only in somebody’s own files. If you know when a story happened, who is in a picture, or you have a photograph of your own from that day, the button on any card will take it — no account, one box. Everything is checked by the team before it appears.
17 of 51 from 2026.
Volunteers
The people who make the days happen · 8
March 2026Volunteer Spotlight: Miranda RodriguezSometimes the most meaningful journeys begin with an unexpected detour. For Miranda Rodriguez, what started as a simple independent study at Texas Tech turned into nearly two decades of impact in the FIRST in Texas community.
February 2026Volunteer Spotlight: Lily MartinezSome volunteers are truly the backbone of a community, stepping in wherever they are needed and lifting others along the way. Lily Martinez is one of those volunteers!
February 2026Volunteer Spotlight: Leigh FrishmanIt started in a garage. Not with fanfare or a grand plan, but with a belief that students deserved a place to build, learn, and discover what they were capable of. For Leigh Frishman, that belief turned into years of opening doors for young people across Texas and showing up wherever he was needed m
February 2026Volunteer Spotlight: Marisa SolomonEach season brings new memories. Teams push through challenges, grow stronger, and discover what they are capable of, all while dedicated volunteers stand front row to witness it happen. These are the same volunteers who give their time and talents to ensure students have spaces to learn, compete, a
January 2026Volunteer Spotlight: Clark and Peggy McChesneyThis couple is known far and wide across our FIRST® in Texas community. When you hear one name, you know the next. For over a decade, they have inspired the next generation while sharing the joy of volunteering side by side. Clark and Peggy McChesney are volunteers who have supported FIRST in Texas 
January 2026Volunteer Spotlight: Dewayne HiggsFor Dewayne Higgs, volunteering with FIRST® in Texas has meant stepping into whatever role is needed to help students and events succeed. Dewayne has been part of FIRST in Texas since before the very first Amarillo FIRST Robotics Competition District Conference, and over the years, he has worn many 
January 2026Volunteer Spotlight - Chasity KeulemansFor the past five years, Chasity Keulemans has been a familiar face across FIRST in Texas events, wearing more hats than most could count. From FLL Coach and Tournament Volunteer to Referee, Judge, MC, Qualifier Host, Volunteer Coordinator, mentor to other schools and teams, and member of the FLL Ch
January 2026Volunteer Spotlight - Bill ScheideggerWhen William (Bill) Scheidegger walked into his first FIRST® event during the 2014–2015 Cascade Effect season, he was immediately immersed in a community he would go on to serve for more than a decade, providing leadership and creating unforgettable moments for teams across Texas.
Teams
Seasons, builds and the odd miracle · 2
March 2026Team Spotlight: FRC Team 457 Grease MonkeysTeam 457 Grease Monkeys is the oldest team in San Antonio and the fifth oldest active team in Texas! Now celebrating their 25th season, the Grease Monkeys are marking the milestone during a year that feels especially fitting. A season of rebuilding, rebranding, and redefining who they are.
January 2026Team Spotlight: FTC Team 11719 Iron HookFTC Team 11719 Iron Hook is a West Texas team that is more than just robots and matches. It is a family that grows together through shared challenges and opportunities, continually refining their design and pushing themselves to be the best each season. Each year gives the team a chance to reconnect
Students
In their own words · 3
February 2026Student Spotlight: Cecilia C, FTC Team 9626Cecilia C has turned her FIRST experience into an opportunity to lead, connect, and create lasting impact beyond the robot.
February 2026Student Spotlight: Holli C, FTC Team 15450For Holli C., a member of FIRST Tech Challenge Team 15450, Da Vinci Dragons Thunder, plays a critical role across nearly every aspect of her team. She serves as project manager, lead CAD engineer, lead 3D printer technician, intake facilitator, builder, and former head of outreach. Her FIRST journey
January 2026Student Spotlight: Carter B, FTC Team 23515For Carter, FIRST® Tech Challenge is more than a robotics competition. It is where ideas turn into reality, lessons become lasting habits, and teamwork leads to shared success. Carter currently serves as team captain for FTC Team 23515, Hammerheads. In addition to leading the team, he wears many hat
Alumni
Where it led · 1
Partners
The organizations behind the season · 2
February 2026Sponsor Spotlight: Applied Materials FoundationCreating meaningful pathways into STEM often begins with the people around you who believe in the value of investing in young minds. It takes partners who are willing to champion confidence, foster belonging, and create opportunities so students can discover what they are capable of achieving. Throu
February 2026More Than Volunteering: Two Sigma’s Commitment to FIRST in TexasBehind every FIRST® in Texas event, there is a network of dedicated volunteers and corporate partners who quietly make the magic happen. Volunteering with FIRST in Texas is not just something to cross off a list. For the team at Two Sigma, it is about investing in curiosity, creativity, and the futu
From the archive
1
Recovered from the Internet Archive, September 2026. Dates come from the original site’s own files and from the photographs’ capture dates where those survived; where neither did, the story says so rather than guessing.