Congratulations to Faridodin "Fredi" Lajvardi for winning the Woodie Flowers Award

[Steven Donow]

Huge congrats! Definitely deserves it! The impact 842 have had is beyond measurable, and he has made it all possible.

[Dave Campbell]

Congrats Fredi! Well deserved award and recognition for all you do!

[mathking]

Congratulations on a well deserved award.

[Rich Kressly]

woooooooo :)

[DonRotolo]

There is nobody more deserving of the Woodie Flowers Award than Fredi. I agree with the OP, his impact goes well beyond FIRST.

[MrForbes]

Yaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[runneals]

Congrats Fredi! I was fortunate enough to meet 3 members and another mentor of your team this year at the White House Science Fair. One thing I must add to this award is that there are sooooooooooooooooooooooooo many awesome mentors out there, that this one award isn't enough to thank them all. So I would like to take my time and thank each and EVERY one of our AWESOME mentors who contribute their valuable time to help us build the best possible robot, learn life skills, and to help get us involved in engineering or business. :)

THANK YOU MENTORS! FIRST wouldn't be the same without YOU! :]

[Wendy Holladay]

Mazel Tov!!!

[falconmaster]

Wow what do I say....I was totally shocked! Thanks everybody for all the kind words! It is very humbling to be in the company of all those I look up to.

[PayneTrain]

I was only surprised he hadn't already won it.

Thanks for mentoring a team I look up to.

[z_beeblebrox]

Congratulations. You have been an inspiration and a great influence for the Bit Buckets.

[Jon236]

Congrats! You are an inspiration to all of us. You really are the embodiment of 'making a difference'!

[Starke]

Congratulations Fredi on a well deserved award! You have been a huge inspiration to me over the years with your thoughts on game design, videos of prototypes, and talks about various robot subjects. You deserve it! Congratulations!

[IKE]

Congratulations!

[nlknauss]

Congrats Fredi! Always have been a role model as a FSM and even more so the few times I've been around 842 at Worlds.

[Donut]

Congratulations Fredi on a well deserved WFA. The amount you've done for FIRST as a whole and for AZFIRST in particular would probably crash some web browsers if we tried to post it all here (and let's not even get started about the DREAM act). You've helped out countless teams directly and inspired those of us who have watched what you have done nearby. Thank you for being someone to look up to as a student and as a mentor to make me say "I really need to do more like Fredi". 498 has always been glad to have a mentor like Fredi in our backyard.

[Billfred]

Congratulations, Fredi!

(For those keeping score, 842 is now one step away from the triple crown...just have to win Einstein, no biggie. ;))

[JB987]

Well deserved, Fredi, well deserved!

[falconmaster]

Congratulations Fredi on a well deserved WFA. The amount you've done for FIRST as a whole and for AZFIRST in particular would probably crash some web browsers if we tried to post it all here (and let's not even get started about the DREAM act). You've helped out countless teams directly and inspired those of us who have watched what you have done nearby. Thank you for being someone to look up to as a student and as a mentor to make me say "I really need to do more like Fredi". 498 has always been glad to have a mentor like Fredi in our backyard.

It is so very nice to get complimented from those I respect. Thank you Donut! There are times that it feels like I am just banging head to make a difference and then there are those wonderful times that there is a break through. Hearing that people "out there" actually are watching what we do, just makes us, or me, just that much more committed to always do the right thing and try our best to represent us and FIRST to the best of our ability. Its too bad that it just doesn't get any easier. I guess if it did then they would give out awards for it right?

[falconmaster]

Congratulations, Fredi!

(For those keeping score, 842 is now one step away from the triple crown...just have to win Einstein, no biggie. ;))

We are working on it....
Got any ideas?

[falconmaster]

Well deserved, Fredi, well deserved!

Thanks! It really means a lot coming you Joe. Let make it to Einstein next year!

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Congratulations Fredi! For those that are just being introduced, I suggest you search back for some of Fredi's previous posts about the team. I have been inspired by his students from the very beginning. I remember hearing about them beating college teams in the water challenge they participate in. The story about your student standing in the aisle in a drug store looking for absorbent materials was one of the best I have heard. I repeat it often. When I am asked about teams that overcome challenges, there is only one on the top of my list. Good luck in the future.

[Taylor]

In the words of my wife, "Hey! Isn't that the guy from the CNN story?"

This man has done more to Change The Culture than any other non-denim-wearing-person in the FIRST world, and I was shocked to realize he wasn't already a WFA. Thank you for all you've done and all you'll continue to do.

[mathking]

Congratulations Fredi! For those that are just being introduced, I suggest you search back for some of Fredi's previous posts about the team. I have been inspired by his students from the very beginning. I remember hearing about them beating college teams in the water challenge they participate in. The story about your student standing in the aisle in a drug store looking for absorbent materials was one of the best I have heard. I repeat it often. When I am asked about teams that overcome challenges, there is only one on the top of my list. Good luck in the future.

I second Al's post. I was visiting my parents this past weekend and one of my dad's friends pulled me aside with the line "You still do robotics right?" He saw a post about Fredi's award and followed up by reading everything he could about him and the team. He said "You need to read about this guy. This stuff is amazing. We need more people like him working with kids. I had no idea how cool this program was." I think I convinced him to offer support to his alma mater, which just started a team this year. So thanks Fredi.

[falconmaster]

Congratulations Fredi! For those that are just being introduced, I suggest you search back for some of Fredi's previous posts about the team. I have been inspired by his students from the very beginning. I remember hearing about them beating college teams in the water challenge they participate in. The story about your student standing in the aisle in a drug store looking for absorbent materials was one of the best I have heard. I repeat it often. When I am asked about teams that overcome challenges, there is only one on the top of my list. Good luck in the future.

Thank you so much Al, I am always gleaming wisdom from you!

[falconmaster]

In the words of my wife, "Hey! Isn't that the guy from the CNN story?"

This man has done more to Change The Culture than any other non-denim-wearing-person in the FIRST world, and I was shocked to realize he wasn't already a WFA. Thank you for all you've done and all you'll continue to do.

Thanks Taylor! I love your wife's comment! "Hey! Isn't that the guy from the CNN story?" It is nice to be recognized be people, makes me feel like someone is paying attention "out there".

[falconmaster]

I second Al's post. I was visiting my parents this past weekend and one of my dad's friends pulled me aside with the line "You still do robotics right?" He saw a post about Fredi's award and followed up by reading everything he could about him and the team. He said "You need to read about this guy. This stuff is amazing. We need more people like him working with kids. I had no idea how cool this program was." I think I convinced him to offer support to his alma mater, which just started a team this year. So thanks Fredi.

I love this line, mind if I barrow it from time to time?
"I always tell the kids, when you don't win the Chairman's Award that's not a bad thing. If you think you are deserving, but someone else is better, that mean's the message of FIRST is really getting out there."

[waialua359]

Congratulations Mr. Lajvardi!
It was a long time coming and well-deserving.


-Glenn