#PeopleofSTEAM: Meet Jon

As a FIRST^®alum and founder of The Rainbow STEM Alliance, Jon has always been fascinated by how the world was made. From ice cream to cars, Jon has been interested in manufacturing and assembly processes since he was young. Now, he has taken that passion for production and translated it to something much bigger. 

As a previous participant in FIRST^®LEGO^® League and FIRST^®  Robotics Competition, Jon now sees what a difference FIRST has helped him make, both in his career, and as founder of The Rainbow STEM Alliance (RSA), an organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ members of FIRST.  

Now, Jon continues to support FIRST students through his work as a FIRST mentor and volunteer at events, as well as supporting The RSA as President Emeritus, knowing the difference it will make in supporting the next generation of innovators. Keep reading to learn more about his amazing STEAM journey and what he is doing to give back in this week’s #PeopleofSTEAM feature. 

FIRST Staff: Can you share some information about your current roles at CTR Electronics and The Rainbow STEM Alliance?  

Jon: As the Manufacturing Manager for a small company like CTR Electronics (CTRE), my tasks will often be different from day-to-day. One day I may be working on the robotic work cell producing motors for FIRST Robotics Competition teams to use. The next day I could be organizing our warehouse to make it easier for products to flow in and out. I will often use my engineering education to help plan our production as well.  

My work with The Rainbow STEM Alliance started before its founding, working with the LGBTQ+ community of FIRST student organization to get their first batch of lapel Pride pins made back in 2017. As the President Emeritus, I am still involved in a much lower capacity, helping guide and provide historical knowledge, as well as ensuring that pins get shipped globally every year. 

FIRST Staff: What are your favorite parts of your current roles? 

Jon: Growing up, one of my favorite things to do was going on factory tours on vacation. I was always interested in seeing how to assemble cars, or make ice cream, or even teddy bears. Later on, I was able to take bits and pieces of different industries’ assembly processes and get them to work together to create new ways of manufacturing. I think that is what has led to my favorite part of my career. I get to work to solve problems bringing new products to market, but also to go back and make older products in a more efficient manner! There are always fun challenges to find ways to produce existing products in a better way. Can I make the product faster? Is this less expensive or will that change cost more? Can I create a more robust process? Being able to learn new processes and finding out about new ways to manufacture goods has always been a lot of fun and continues to fascinate me.  

My favorite part of being a part of The Rainbow STEM Alliance is getting to hear about the impact I have had on students. I have been fortunate to hear so many stories about how something as small as a one inch by one inch pin can have a lasting and meaningful impact. To show these students that they are not alone, and that they have thousands of us who support them within FIRST, be it their own mentors, volunteers, or their teammates [is very important to me]. It has really been an amazing opportunity. 

FIRST Staff: What is the hardest part of your job?  

Jon: The hardest part of my job at CTRE is anticipating the unknown. What is the next challenge going to be that we need to work together to solve? What does the global marketplace look like for sourcing and parts? Will something not work as expected in our assembly and testing process, and how quickly can we recover from that? It is one of the best parts of engineering, though! 

The hardest part of my role with The RSA is the feeling like no matter how great of an impact we have, there will always be more we can do. There will always be students who may not have had the chance to hear about what we do yet. There may be students who do not have our support that we cannot always easily reach. Knowing that there will always be more to do keeps driving me forward, though. 

FIRST Staff: How do you use STEAM skills in your everyday work/life?  

Jon: STEAM is a constant in my life. There are always things to analyze and processes to review. Having data, being able to interpret it, and then visualize what it means incorporates all of STEAM. Engineering, and more specifically manufacturing, requires all of it!  

While I was a FIRST Robotics Competition student, I learned so much from the engineers and business leaders who were my mentors. I was taught how to use a CNC machine for the first time going into my junior year, and it really made me realize that manufacturing could be a fun part of my job. I fell in love with it and focused my mechanical engineering degree on the manufacturing side. It has given me such a unique perspective on how things are made. Rather than just, “can I design this,” it is more so, “can I design this part in a way that is cost effective to make, and can actually be made the way I am expecting?”  

STEAM is not as big in my role with RSA. But networking is a huge skill honed by FIRST students that many do not even realize. It is also part of how I have found my roles within FIRST Suppliers. I have been fortunate enough to meet thousands of people from all over the globe as part of my day job. Those interpersonal connections are a big thing that FIRST helped me to form.  

Talking with students on other teams, scouting, learning how to create an alliance to succeed at the event - FIRST taught me these skills that I use all the time, and I used them to build an organization designed to outlast my involvement in it.  

FIRST Staff: Can you share your thoughts on the impact of your personal/professional work in STEAM?  

Jon: My work has a huge impact on the daily lives of FIRST Robotics Competition students. I see the impact on the team I mentor and the teams I meet at events as a volunteer.  Working for a company like CTR Electronics, that is dedicated to making FIRST events better, has been awesome in that regard. I get to help work at the forefront of the new technology being brought to market, jumpstarting the careers of thousands of students a year. 

My involvement with The Rainbow STEM Alliance has been more fulfilling and rewarding than I could ever have imagined. I always saw it as this small thing I was doing, trying to make lives better for LGBTQ+ youth pursuing STEAM. The best part has been meeting many of the students we have impacted years after graduation. That has made it all worthwhile. I have heard so many stories from graduates who have told me that because of the LGBTQ+ of FIRST pins and the work The RSA has done, they no longer felt alone, and felt like they could actively be in the STEAM spaces they wanted to be. Knowing something as small as a lapel pin could make someone feel safe, secure, and seen has been the push I needed to keep going. 

FIRST Staff: Who is a “Person of STEAM” who inspires you?  

Jon: Dr. Woodie Flowers. Woodie was the MC at most of my events growing up. He was always kind, compassionate, and caring. He had a way of making you feel seen, heard, and validated. I was fortunate to get to know him better after I graduated college and started working in the supplier sphere, and will never forget how he always would have an LGBTQ+ of FIRST pin on for two reasons: One, he wanted to make sure every student knew they were safe with him, and that he cared about them, and two, because it was so much larger than any one team’s project for an award. He stopped wearing team buttons, etc. years ago, but the pin mattered. I often heard stories about how he would give his pin away to students who saw it and commented, so I always made sure he had a stockpile available. His passion for making the world better still inspires me to this day. 

FIRST Staff: If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?  

Jon: Never give up. The world can seem cruel and unkind, but there will always be people there to help lift you back up. Also, follow your heart and passions, no matter what. Never compromise on your own integrity. 

FIRST Staff: Do you have a message you want to share with students who are participating in FIRST today? 

Jon: Follow your own passion, even if it is not what will “make you the most money.” Money is not everything, and if you do not enjoy what you do, change it up. It is never too late to go back to further your own knowledge, be it trade schools, higher education, online learning platforms, etc. You do not need to feel like you are trapped in something you hate because society tells you it is your only option. Enjoy your time while you are able to. Take that vacation on a whim, move across the country or world to start anew, do what makes you happy, or at least try! 

Are you a person of STEAM? Share your story with #PeopleofSTEAM on social media or send us your story at marketing@firstinspires.org.