Volunteer Spotlight
Bob Hagh

Meet veteran volunteer Bob Hagh! He is one of our talented referees and incredibly enthusiastic supporters.  We love his high energy and sense of humor.  Thanks for all you do, Bob!

How long have you been volunteering for FIRST? 

I got back into volunteering for FIRST in 2015. I was a member of FRC 230 in Shelton, CT when I was in high school from 2001-2005. As a team member I remember volunteering for field reset during the Championship for the 2004 game Raising The Bar. After graduating, I volunteered for a few FIRST Lego League competitions in my hometown.

What positions have you held?

Since 2015, I’ve primarily volunteered as a referee. In 2017, I went back to field reset for a district event in Dallas, Texas when I lived there for a year. My goal is to become a head referee, but since I love putting on a good show, I want to flex my muscles as Master of Ceremonies one day.

What inspired you to become a volunteer?

I always found volunteering to be a fun and easy way to give back to a community. It’s an opportunity to help others out while having fun and learning. Since I am a people person, volunteering allows me to interact with others. This, in turn, feeds my energy. I’m a big supporter of FIRST and STEM, and it’s great to see the program going strong after all these years. 

What is your favorite part about volunteering?

I really enjoy meeting the students in the FIRST program. It is such a diverse crowd, and seeing students get really excited about programming, engineering, designing, and anything else within the scope of science really makes me happy. It reminds me of when I was back in high school and I got into computer science and design.

How has volunteering helped you in your career and in life?

 It’s made me more happy in life. Volunteering for FIRST allowed me to rediscover my interest in computer science and the thrill of the competition makes it just as exciting to watch all the hard work students, teachers, parents, and mentors have put into their team’s success. Volunteering has ignited that spark of innovation and curiosity that has gone missing in the last few years of my life. I’m looking as going into a whole new career in my early-30s, and being involved with FIRST has made that path of discovery just a little bit easier.

What words of advice would you give to new volunteers or to those considering volunteering?

Volunteering is fun and a great way to meet new people and to learn about new areas of science and technology. With a wide variety of positions to volunteer for, with any experience level, it’s easy to jump in and learn the ins and outs of the FIRST organization. Just being at an event is going to inspire you. Also, bring a friend to volunteer with! I got my girlfriend to sign up to be a volunteer at 2018's THOR event, and she had a blast.