​Volunteer Corner Spotlight - Pamela Meistrell, San Diego Region Volunteer Coordinator

Name of the team(s) you are currently involved with, name of school and location: 
My husband David Warner is working with two teams this year – RSF Intergalactic Dragons and RSF Dark Voyager at the R. Roger Rowe School in Rancho Santa Fe. I don’t work directly with any teams.
 
Tell us a little bit about your history with FIRST and what you currently do with the FTC program in the San Diego region:
 I became aware of FIRST when my husband helped form an FLL program at his school back in 2012 then started going to the FTC competitions in 2014 when he formed his first FTC team. In 2015 I took the plunge by coordinating league meets, twice a year, at the R. Roger Rowe School along with Cory Hoover. In 2016 I joined the Steering Committee for the FTC West Super Regional yearly Championships which took place in Washington State. I’ve been to Worlds twice and am still in awe of the spectacle!  I became very involved with the San Diego region in 2018 and became its Volunteer Coordinator this past season.
 
What do you most enjoy about your involvement with FTC:
When a team does something really well at an event and everyone starts screaming and jumping up and down . . . it makes my heart sing to see that pure joy.
 
When you’re not doing FTC, what do you do for a living:
I have my own graphic design business.
 
Tell us an interesting factoid about yourself that people might be surprised to learn:
I was born in Alaska and in 1987 my job with Alaska Special Olympics provided me the opportunity to fly to Nome. It was January and sixty below zero!  I dressed in some traditional Eskimo clothing and “mushed a dog sled” along the Bering Sea!