Ethan Read: The 'FIRST' Experience, A 'Segway' for the Less Fortunate

Name: Ethan Read, Class of 2011 graduate

Senior Mastery Project: Read researched the impact of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) on disadvantaged youth.

What is FIRST?: It's a non-profit organization that was founded by Dean Kamen in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology.

"[Kamen] saw the need to inspire the youth of the world in technology and science. At that time and even through to today, there's less interest from youth in [the subjects]," Read told Patch. 

Why Read Selected the Topic: While attending Avon High School, he participated in FIRST for four years so he thought he'd use the project as an opportunity to learn more about the organization.

FIRST at Avon High School: Group members build robots from the first week in January through the end of February under the guidance of a mentor who typically has a background in engineering. Students learn about science, technology, engineering and math as they design and build the robots.

The Benefits of FIRST: "FIRST programs help reach over 250,000 students per year and that with the help of FIRST, students are more likely to graduate from high school ... and college and over their lifetime, earn about $900,000 more," Read said.

Fun Facts: He's interested in cars and engineering. During his senior year at Avon High School, he served as president of FIRST.

College Bound: This fall, he's heading to Alfred University in New York to study mechanical engineering.

Editor's Note: Hey, Avon Class of 2011 graduating seniors! Do you want your senior master project featured on Avon Patch? E-mail the information to Jessie.Sawyer@patch.com, along with a photo of you and your project. Parents, you can submit on behalf of your children as well. We will be spotlighting one senior mastery project a day, Mondays through Fridays, throughout the entire summer.