In eighth grade, my school allows students to join the robotics team even though it is commonly a high school activity. I have always been interested in engineering so I joined. The first practice we were sorting tools and all our other oddities. I didn’t really know anybody so, I kept to myself and sorted parts. Throughout the first practice, one of the veteran members was talking about wanting to hang up the safety hat this year, not knowing what he meant I didn’t really pay any attention to him. The next practice we divided up to talk about what design we wanted to do but a lot of what was talked about I didn’t really understand.

The entirety of that second practice I just sat in the back and really didn’t say anything of real importance. Our third practice the safety captain from earlier who said he wanted to hang up the safety hat, asked if there was anyone wanted to be safety captain in his place. Since no one else raised their hand, I did. “He pointed at me and said,” ok, you’re the new safety captain good luck.”, he then walked away. Later that practice, one of the team’s mentors came to talk to me about what being safety captain meant and that I could have some fun with it. I even remember him saying I could do a forty percent fun and sixty percent safety.

My first responsibility as the safety captain was to present a safety presentation to the team. Part of it was a really cheesy work safety video that really heralded the beginning of my career as the legendary safety captain for the team. I had a lot of fun after that day and I started to get to know the team while terrorizing them with the Safety Jar, the team was to put a quarter in the jar every time they were being unsafe. Before then, I would have never thought that being in charge of safety for anything would be any fun.

The team loved mocking me for being unsafe and being honest it’s true. I’m not even a good safety captain, all I have to my credit as safety captain is our battery acid spill kit. To be fair that kit has saved me before like at our competitions a safety inspectors came over to see what our safety program was. Since we don’t have one, never did, probably never will, so I just talked about our acid spill kit until he was finally satisfied and moved on.

It took me most of my first year on the team to realize that I fit in. Of course in my own weird somewhat safe way. I never would have thought on my first day rather than sorting random bits and bobs or just being off in a corner doing whatever was needed of me, I would be instead the safety captain. In the end, I found my place on the team and when I leave, I better be known as the single greatest safety captain our team will ever have.