Chief Delphi - UFH: Greg Marra

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- - UFH: Greg Marra (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69002)

Thread created automatically to discuss UFH Honoree: Greg Marra.

Name: Greg Marra
Date Honored: 09-01-2008
Years involved w/FIRST: 4
FIRST Team(s): UTC Power &, South Windsor High School (0177), Hyde Park Educational Complex/Olin College/Smith Family Foundation of Boston (2124)
Role: College Mentor
Quote: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi
Bio: Greg Marra is a well known in FIRST robotics as one of the creators of The Blue Alliance, a site which has changed the way the FIRST community experiences different events and archives match results. Working with the Boston Planning committee and TBATV he has helped countless rookie teams who’s success can be directly related to Greg’s Involvements.

When we asked Greg about his favorite FIRST memory he shared: “My college, Olin College, has been mentoring team 1152/2124 from Hyde Park, MA for about five years now. Last year, three girls who joined the team as high school freshmen graduated, and they are all going on to continue their studies with scholarships that enabled this to happen. It's one thing to compete on the field and strive to win, but it's an entirely other thing to see the life changing impact FIRST has on individual students' lives. This is where the power of the program is.”

When asked about advice he might give others looking to get involved in the FIRST program Greg Replied: “Go for it. I didn't join my high school's FIRST team until my Junior year because I wasn't sure if I would like it or not. If I had tried it and not liked it, the worst thing that would have happened is I would have wasted a Wednesday evening. Find mentors who will believe in you and encourage you. And if you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong.”

With all of his successes with projects we questioned what inspired him to keep pushing the envelope: “I am inspired when I meet people who found something that they thought was missing from the world and made it. People with passion for what they do and drive behind them are incredible to talk to, because they get me excited for their ideas and make me want to go out and start all sorts of projects of my own. These are the people who inspire me to go and change the world. The only reason things are the way they are now is because someone once made them that way. Go out and make things the way you want them to be in the future.”

Finally we asked him to share some advice for other mentors in the FIRST program: “My advice to mentors is to excite and inspire. Give students a background and a goal, and let them go for it. Point them at the right resources, encourage them to ask questions, but set them up to pull themselves to success.”

With all that he has contributed to the program in these few short year we are proud to honor Greg Marra as our 60th Unsung FIRST Hero.

Nominated By: Tom Bottiglieri

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

It is great to UFH back again. Thank you to the UFH committee.

Congratulations Greg. Very well deserved. :)

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Congratulations Greg, well deserved!

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

All right!
The long awaited return if UFH!
And how appropriate that the first honoree is one of the founders of best resources available to FIRST The Blue Alliance.
Congrats Greg.

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

It's my pleasure to know Greg and see his accomplishments up close. Congratulations, Greg!

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Bravo Zulu, Greg. :cool:

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Well done, Marra. Now get back to work and send me those names!

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Congratulations Greg! Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to FIRST! I can not imagine my FIRST experience with out The Blue Alliance.

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Yay! Congratulations Greg!

Thank you for nominating Greg, Tom. Awesome!

Jane

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

aww greg, im glad me and jeremy convinced you to join. :-p. and thanks for making 177 way more awesome, and for being my friend since the 3rd grade :)

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

With only 4 years in Greg has done more then most do in 10. I can't wait to see what he will have accomplished by the end of 2012.

Congrats Greg, much deserved.

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Greg,
There are some people we know early on will do well. I can certainly believe you will be someone we will hear about in the future. Congratulations and good luck!

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

It's amazing how much The Blue Alliance has changed the FIRST community. In the past we would have to scrounge for event results and video. Now these things are regularly available at our fingertips. Pretty neat stuff. Congratulations to Greg for being one of the driving forces behind this change, and on a well deserved award.

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

What a great choice to bring back UFH!

Greg is really a great example of a FIRSTer who is an inventor after Dean's own heart. He saw a void and a need within our community, and followed through, inventing something which has truly been an exceptional asset to the FRC community. Congrats Greg, UFH well deserved!

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Congratulations, Greg! :)

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Congratulations, Greg, and thanks for the great tool that is The Blue Alliance.

Also, I don't think he's said anything about it here on CD (presumably out of modesty), but Greg spent the summer interning for Google at their headquarters in California, which is not exactly an easy job to get. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of Google-inspired improvements to TBA. Congrats!

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat Fairbank (Post 763675)

Wow, in that case, congrats on both accomplishments! TBA is an awesome tool to learn about teams and to scout. For that, I thank you.

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

My congratulations goes out for a well deserved honor, Greg!

I am still amazed by the amount of time and effort Greg has put into the side projects he works on for nothing but community gain and improvement. He has wisdom beyond his years and is a role model we can all look to.

A quick congrats also goes out to Chris Marra, Chris Jelly, and Sam Hillyer for all of the work they have done to support TBA.

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Thanks, everyone. One of the things that always has inspired me is looking around at how many members of the community have been passionately contributing for years and years. Their dedication is extremely impressive to me. I look forward to seeing many other members of the community featured as Unsung FIRST Heros in the coming months. Thanks to the UFH committee for their work with this award.

I want to echo Tom's thanks to all of the people who have had a hand in making The Blue Alliance into what it is today. Tom Bottiglieri, Chris Marra, Chris Jelly, and Sam Hillyer were all in my basement, helping film the first episodes of our podcast and have been a reliable team for all of our remote coverage. Kim Masi, Corey Balint, and Ellen Chisa have all also helped with episodes at one point or another. Chris Jelly also co-develops thebluealliance.net, and Jonathan Norris has done a great job helping us with video management. Art Dutra graciously created our logo for us, and contributions from HostRocket and AndyMark enable us to keep providing you with what is hopefully a useful FIRST resource. Especially thanks to the community, without whom there would be no Blue Alliance at all.

Thanks, everybody. :)

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Greg, this is well deserved. Congratulations.

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Congrats Greg! Its been a pleasure working with you and the other TBA folks over the last two years, it really is an amazing resource for the FIRST community and the hard work you put into it really shows.

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Congratulations Greg!

Kick-off again this year? let me know.:rolleyes:

oh and hey look I'm in the picture whoo! :yikes:

P.S. 177th post. Well spent on you Greg.

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Congratulations Greg! Well deserved.

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Mega congrats to Greg. This is much deserved, as he has done much for his team and the FIRST community. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

Andy Baker

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

To one of the brightest, hardest working, unstoppable young adults I know...congratulations. Greg, you ARE FIRST.

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Greg,

It's obvious from reading this thread that you've made a positive difference in a program you care for as well as in the lives of many others. At the end of the day, this kind of impact is a true measure of what kind of human being you are. And to think of all the years you have left - keep going :)

Namaste,
Rich

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

I know Greg, I have even taken a trip on the "T" with him, he knows all about those local sports teams scoring all those points

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Gregs, many many Congrats. I am honored to have learned the ropes from you.

You deserve it.

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Congratulations Greg!!

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

My post is a bit delayed, but congrats are still very much in order. Hizzah for Greg and all of his efforts in promoting FIRST and providing a service to all of us scouters. I credit The Blue Alliance for my Fantasy FIRST Success last year.

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Sorry I misssed this earlier (I haven't logged on in about 4 months).

All this praise for a former student whose younger brother twisted his arm in to joining his Junior year. And to think we never saw this coming when he was a student on the team.;)

Congrats Greg, but don't think this means we'll take it easy on you when you stop by the shop this year.:P

Pete

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

On a similarly late not as Pete (I just got a PM from May 2nd...), congrats Greg! It's been a pretty crazy ride watching him join FIRST, pick up the ball, and just keep running with it. Not to mention what is yet to come. It's been a truly remarkable four years for everyone who has experienced Greg's work.

Re: UFH: Greg Marra

Congrats Greg! (Sorry, I forgot to tell you at tonight's meeting)