Nerds

Yes, I was the kid who competed in all the science competitions while my buddies were out playing soccer and meeting chicks.

By the time I was in third grade, I was entering the city-wide science competitions. My first science fair project created a bit of a controversy, as I somehow managed to take home the gold medal in the Philadelphia, city-wide science compeition for all of grades 4 thru 6. The problem however was that I was only in 3rd grade. Ooops. A lot of my competitors gave me angry looks as I walked on stage to accept my gold medal :)

My first science fair win inspired me to compete year after year, eventually getting me to county, state, national and international competitions. I got a lot of practice, at a very young age, presenting to groups of people and learning how to sell my ideas and research.