Thank you all for your kind words, and thank you for this award.

I'm in the process of moving back home right now, so I will post something more substantial sometime later when I get a chance.

John is everything FIRST is and aspires to be.
An excellent choice as Chiefdelphi's first honoree as an unsung hero.

I first 'met' John on this site and then got to meet him in person at the BAE Granite State Regional this year. Selecting a person such as John shows the maturity of those making decisions. John is an excellent example of "what FIRST is trying to be".

If you have not met John, feel free to come to River Rage in Manchester this September and say 'HI". He will be the head ref.
Congratulations John.

Congrats John!

I've only really been talking to John for a few months, and like Andy, I'm very happy to call him my friend. John has amazing ideas and truly understands what it takes to be a competitor on and off the field. I've seen John grow on these boards over the last few years, and he is a great choice for this honor. John continue to grow, and try to enjoy all this attention.

Steve

I too met John a year ago, as my team leader. As a new student to both Clarkson and FIRST, I had no experience about what this was all about. Admittedly, it didn't seem all that interesting, especially since, as a college student, I would "just":rolleyes: be a mentor to high school students. I am happy to say John changed my views on that.

We took a lot of the same classes last year, so we sometimes reviewed material together. I remember one of the first time I studied in his room. There was (and I bet is) FIRST stuff everywhere, from medals, posters, and sketches to gearboxes and electronics! While we did get some work done, much of the time was spent entertaining me with robotic stories, movies, and pictures. We would do some problems for a few minutes, then John would tell his roommate, Eric, (or vice versa) that they had forgotten to tell me about this team or that experience. And so we would go off into FIRST discussions until we remembered we were supposed to be doing work and the cycle would repeat. (yes, we did finish the material, although the FIRST slideshow screensaver on his computer didn't help matters any! :p) I couldn't help but be drawn in.

Through John's devotion to FIRST, I knew there must be something special going on that I didn't yet see. Listening to his vast FIRST knowledge and endless amounts of stories, I was fascinated. Caught by his endless enthusiasm, I became hooked as well. Without John, 229 wouldn't have been the same and would not have been anywhere near as enjoyable as it was. I am proud and honored to know him and to have him as my team leader. So I just wanna say thanks John, for opening my eyes to FIRST, for everything you've done for us, and for showing me that yes, sleepless nights can be fun :D !

Congratulations John!!!!!!!

though i only met john at IRI and we didn't exactly have loads of conversations, from the time i've spent with him (mostly in mike's room) i have to say he's a great guy. he's taught me a lot in the short times we've talked and i've learned many many life lessons that i will bring with me from him.

so congratulations John! You deserve it! :)

I guesse it is my turn to post my comments about John recieving this award.

I have only known john a short time just like i have only known many of you a short time, however like the rest of you I will always remeber things that John has shared with me and taught me.

In the short time I have known John we have had countless conversations on AIM discussing all sorts of subjects, from the meaning of FIRST to why certain robots exceled this year. He has a mind that truely understands FIRST and sees the bigger picture of things rather then just the details.

At IRI John was a voice of reason many times and didn't even get angry with me when i argued about a call that the refs made, hehe i still say that interference was crap... Finaly we got a chance to talk after all of the competition was over and I must say that at that point i realized how great of a guy John was and how much i would enjoy talking to him and picking his brain.

Further showing that I think the right decision was made in choosing John for the first UFH award are all of the comments and stories that others have posted. Most people haven't known John that long but I am struck by the number of people who state that in that short time John has already had a profound influence and impact on their lives.

Congrats John, and keep it up:]

Josh

JVN rocks my socks.

Yes....I came out of hiding just to say that, but he's worth it! :D

I met John by almost stepping on him during Nats (he was lying on the ground, and I was doing my crazy running-around thing I used to do)...since then we haven't talked as much (basically because I needed to get out of FIRST badly), but we have these weird connections that pop up every so often...like how his hometown is where my cousins live, how the only other FIRST-er from my old team to leave state is going to his school, and how his friend that passed on taught my cousins how to swim.

I always wanted to ref, and it makes me jealous and proud that he's doing that now. :p He's a great guy overall, and I am so happy that he is the first to be chosen for an award that was long overdue.

Congrats, John.....and keep up the good work, everyone!