LastPowell1

FredLastPowell
ProfessorLynnM.Raymond
UWRT1103FamilyTreeProject
2ndNovember2015
HowtheLastshaveMovedthroughtheAges
MymaternalGrandfatherssideofourfamily,theLastsoriginatefromasmallvillagein
SuffolkcalledBruisyard.SuffolkisanEnglishcountylocatedinEastAnglia,theareaof
EnglandthatbulgesoutnorthofLondonintotheNorthSea.Thisruralvillagehasbeenhomefor
theLastsforcenturies.BruisyardisknownforitsChurchofSt.Peterswhichhasaninteresting
towerattachedtoit,thatnobodyknowswhy
Oneunprovenbutintriguingtheoryisthatthe
towerwasbuiltbyaCountoftheSaxonShoreasamilitarybastiontoguardtheriverford.But
whateverthereasonwasthetowerisnowBrisyardsbiggestlandmark.
MyancestorshavelivedinGreatBritainforcenturies.Mymother'ssideofthefamily
evenalllivedinSuffolk,untilmygrandparentsandtheirsiblingsdecidedtospreadout.
NowadaysmyrelativescanbefoundallthroughoutEngland,however,noneofthemventured
furtheruntilmyparents.
MyfatherstudiedforhisthirddegreeatWarwickUniversityreceivinghisdoctoratein
Physicsin1992.HewasofferedtwoyearpostdoctoralresearchpositionbyIBMYorktown
beginninginFebruary1992.Thiswasahugeopportunitybutalsoafrighteningstep.Myparents
wererentingaverysmallrowhouseinCoventry,Englandatthetime.Mymotherwas
supportingthefamilyteachingkindergarten.

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Myparentsdecidedthatalthoughthemovewasscary,itwastoogoodtomisssothey
packedupalltheirthingsandgotreadytogo.Theyleftmanyboxesatmymomsparentshouse
thatwouldbesentbyship.Theyhadtwosuitcaseseachwithalltheirpossessionsuntilthe
shippedfreightarrivedamonthlater.TheyflewfromLondon,thecapitalcityofEngland,from
HeathrowairporttoJohnF.KennedyairportinNewYorkCity.Mymomsparentstookthemto
theairporttoseethemoff.WhenmyGrandfatherbegantocrymymomrealizedwhatabigstep
theyweretaking.
MyfatherenteredtheUnitedStatesofAmericaonaPostDoctoralStudentvisa.My
parentswerenotmarriedatthetimesomymotherhadavisitorsvisawhichshehadtorenew
everysixmonths.TheywereonlyintendingtostayinAmericafortwoyearasthatwasthe
lengthofthepostdoctoralprogram.MyfatherbegantoworkforIBMYorktownasaresearch
scientistinFebruary1992.Heworkedinthesemiconductorresearchgroupandalmost
immediatelywasinvolvedinresearchleadingtopatents.
Myparentsrentedasmall,furnished,lakefronthouseinLakePeekskill,NewYork.It
wassmallbyAmericanlakecommunitystandardsalthoughitwashugecomparedtothehouse
theyhadmovedfrominEngland.
In1994myfatherdecidedtostayoninthescientificcommunityinAmericaratherthan
returningtotheUKwherehisfieldhadtakenahitfinanciallysoheappliedfornaturalizationas
avaluablescientistandmyparentsmarriedtomakethepaperworkeasier!
AfterthatmyfathergotajobinConnecticutasaresearchscientistforATMI.Duringthe
timemyfamilylivedinConnecticutIwasborn.Welivedinabigbluehousenearalake.WhenI
wasfourmyfathergotanewjobwithacompanynamedCREEasaresearchscientistmaking

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cheaperbetterLEDlightbulbs.SomyfamilymovedtoNorthCarolinaintoabighouseinthe
suburbs.Duringmyfather'stimeworkingatCREEhehasinventedandpatentednumerous
devicestocheapenandstrengthentheLEDSsuchas
Micropipefreesiliconcarbideandrelated
methodofmanufacture.
SincemovingtoNorthCarolinamyfatherandIhavefoundsomehobbiesthatweliketo
sharein.Thefirstbeingboating.Heboughtaspeedboatforustotakeoutonthelakenearour
house.Soduringthesummerwetaketheboatouteveryweekendtowakeboardoffthebackto
seewhocanlearntodohardertricksfirst.Oursecondhobbyisskiing.Everyyearwetakeatrip
tothemountainsontheWestsideoftheUSusuallyUtah,orColorado,forsomesnowskiing.
Webothlovethesportandwealwayshave.
Butthelasthobbywehaveisslightlydifferentthanmost.Welovetocompetein
robotics,whenIwasinmyfreshmanyearofhighschoolmydadaskedmeifIwantedtojoina
roboticsteam.AtfirstIwasskepticalbecauseitdidnotseemlikesomethingsomeonecool
woulddo.ButastimepassedIdecidedIwouldtryitout.Iwenttoameetingandinstantlyloved
it.Creatingrobotswithmyhandsandlearninghowtonotonlyprogramthembutdrivethem.
DuringmyfirstyearontheteamwewontheRookieAllStarawardwhichisawardedtothe
teamthat
Celebratestherookieteamexemplifyingayoungbutstrongpartnershipeffort,aswell
asimplementingthemissionof
FIRST
toinspirestudentstolearnmoreaboutscienceand
technology.
AftertalkingtomyfamilymembersandThroughallofmyresearchIhaveconcluded
thatmyfamilymightnotmovemuchbuttheysureareaninterestingbunchandIamproudtobe
apartofit.

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WorksCited

"Bruisyard,StPeter'sChurchHistory,Travel,andAccommodationInformation.
"
BritainExpress
.Web.2Nov.2015.
"MicropipefreeSiliconCarbideandRelatedMethodofManufacture."
Patent(Patent#
9,099,377IssuedAugust4,2015)JustiaPatentsDatabase
.Web.2Nov.2015.
"Awards."
FRCRSS
.Web.2Nov.2015.