UFH: Mike Walker
 

Thread created automatically to discuss UFH Honoree: Mike Walker.



Name: Mike Walker
Date Honored: 10-01-2008
Years involved w/FIRST: 7
FIRST Team(s): ASRC/Boeing &, Astronaut &, Titusville High School (0021), Siemens Power Generation &, Winter Park Robotics, Inc (1902)
Role: Mentor, Event Volunteer,
Quote: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead
Bio: From time to time people come along in FIRST who start out small and just seem to fall into place as the years roll on; mike is one of those people. Having started out as a student on team 21 even back in high school the community should have predicted great things from him as in 10th Grade when he “saw the major flaws in the documentation and support FIRST was providing for teams swapping from PBasic to C” and wrote one of the first white papers on using the edubot.

Since that time he has seen needs and made every attempt to fill them. As a freshman in college he was the first team member to be on the Florida Regional Committee acting as a voice for all the Florida teams. Since taking over the role as Volunteer coordinator a few years ago he has helped to get more team members from the community involved as well.

There are numerous ways in which he volunteers his time at events, with his team, and even designing a game last minute when faced with a weather catastrophe at an off season event.

When asked about one of his biggest accomplishments in FIRST he replied that “This season I got to see my first group of students who I have worked with their entire FIRST career go off to college, it's pretty amazing when you think 'Wow, I've worked with these kids for 3 years on a team that didn't exist when I started in FIRST.'”

Knowing his experience with numerous teams we asked Mike to tell us how he describes FIRST to people who don't know. Jokingly he replied “It's the best way to test out a relationship. If he/she is still with you at the end of a build/competition season, put a ring on their finger.” He continued on to say that “it's a way to work with people you will find you have the utmost respect for even when you disagree with them. It's a way of finding both a family and a purpose, neither of which, I would argue, the majority of people ever achieve.”

Finally we asked what advice he would offer to other mentors who are involved in FIRST. “There is a side of life we often forget about when we get swamped with the busyness of life. There is something students can remind you about regularly. Sometimes hurricanes hit and sometimes autonomous learns how to perfectly match your attempts to dodge it as it flies at full speed. If you aren't able to turn around laughing there's something missing. Sometimes the most important thing to do is Oink with everything you have got.”

Congratulations Mike for being selected as an Unsung FIRST Hero keep up the good work and.....Oink! Oink! Boom!

Nominated By: Billfred

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

"It's the best way to test out a relationship. If he/she is still with you at the end of a build/competition season, put a ring on their finger."

What happened when she found out you loved the robot more than her Mike? :)


All kidding aside, congrats buddy. Very well deserved.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

YAY!!! go Mike!!!!! definitely well deserved:D congrats buddy

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Mike has been a great asset to Mission Mayhem for the past 4 years. I am glad that he was honored for UFH. Congrats Mike.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Congrats Mike.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Congrats on the honor Mike.
See you at TNT!

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Congratulations Mike. It's great to know that Florida has some great volunteers to keep the program going and inspire others. I like the quote about watching your first group of students going off to college. It is what we should all live for.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Another entry in the Long Overdue column. If Mike Walker ever leaves the state of Florida, off-seasons in that state are doomed for lack of a working field.

Congrats, Mike!

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Congrats Mike, glad to see your efforts being recognized!

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Congrats Mike. Thanks for your help in the past years. This is well deserved.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

I don't know Mike, but offer my congratulations. Anyone who goes around with an FRC sign over his head deserves to be honored. :rolleyes:

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Congrats Mike!

I have to start it...

OINK! OINK!

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

BOOM!

Mike has been a great asset for ALL of FIRST for many years. It's great to see him properly recognized.

Way to go, Mike!!

Andy B.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

congrats mike, personally, I can't wait to celebrate this with you in the sundome....

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Yet another well-deserved UFH.

Congrats Mike. We'll celebrate at TNT!
:)

LK

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

I met Mike at a FIRST Robotics competition. He doesn't remember meeting me that day... but I remember him. Maybe it was the glare from his bright orange shirt and green hair that prevented him from being able to take in those around him? Or maybe it was just the tunnel vision through which he sees the world. A tunnel through which only complete determination exists.

Throughout the seven years that I've continued to know him, he has spread this tunnel wider and wider - and now it seems as though there is no detail that will go unnoticed to him, especially if it needs improvement. He may not know at first exactly how to fix it; unlike most people, however, that won't stop him from calling it to the attention of those around him.

He lives to improve his world. And at the heart of it: what else is an engineer, really?

Congrats Miket!!!! I'm so proud of you!

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Yay, Mike!!! How awesome!

Congratulations! I hope I meet you eventually. Well done.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

I'll throw my congrats into the ring as well. Great to see another deserving UFH get recognized.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Congratulations! Definitely well deserved! :]

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

I don't know whos happier Mike that he won the award or me knowing Mike Walker won UFH. Mike since the first day I met him has been a inspiriing breath of fresh air in FIRST. Always willing to help and go the extra mile for everyone, no one deserves this more then Mike Walker. Congratulations to a man who is really after FIRSTs own heart and who I would not mind seeing win the Woodie Flowers award one day.

-Drew

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Congratulations, Mike.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

A well deserved honour for a great guy! Congratulations.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Congratulations Mike! Since I met you, yes, way back in 2003, it's been amazing to see all the things you've accomplished and have set goals to do. You are well-deserving of this award!

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Congratulations Mike!

Who's got more bacon than the pan can handle? Mike!

Oink Oink BOOM!

Sarah

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Congrats Mike!!

I can say many things....and they mostly embarrass him....so I wont, but I will say that this is a well deserved honor. Mike is one of the most hard working mentors I know. He always has his hand in more areas than he can count. Bacon would not exist in its present form without Mike.

Fun Fact about Mike:

He came up with the Oink Oink Boom cheer

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

One of the most deafening, er, defining moments of FIRST for me, was sitting next to Mike when Bacon was competing on Einstein. I haven't been quite the same since.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Mike is a mentor and a friend whom I admire and respect as a Jack of all trades, master of most of them, and just a really nice guy to hang around. Doesn't seem that long ago that he was that bright kid on CommBat who always seemed like a senior but kept coming back for another year of high school (kinda like George Wallace in college).

Congrats Mike. I'll miss you in Alabama, but I've still got your cell number if I get in trouble.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Mike has been a terrific volunteer at the FTC Florida Championship. He ran the scoring system in 2006 & 2007 and he has signed up for the 2008 State Championship before volunteer registration opened.

He built a Vex based, two-axis gimbaled sky-cam to provide overhead video of the robot matches. This setup was used at the FTC State Championship and Mission Mayhem.

Congratulations Mike!

Michael
FTC Affiliate Partner for Florida

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

WALKER!!!

Thanks for everything you do to help plan the Florida regional.

Many don't know this, but he also also spent multiple occasions helping mentor team 1390, including some very long nights when things just didn't seem to be coming together on the programming side. He was willing to try things out of the box such as using a heat lamp to aid a sensor... the idea didn't work out, but it was an interesting idea at 2 am and walmart was the only place open. January nights in Florida actually can get pretty cold, especially in rooms without heating... The heat lamp he bought came in useful anyhow.


Interesting Exploding Bacon fact: in 1902's first year, mike walker was fresh out of high school after being a powerhouse cheerleader on combat. He was driving around the Orlando area thinking of the new team name "exploding bacon" and what the team should cheer that would be memorable and funny at their first competition. The rest is history.

He is a leader in FIRST, and on the UCF Campus. I am glad to see Mike get recognition for it. Go Knights.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Thanks so much for all the nice comments everybody. I was very happy and surprised when I found out about this award. Thank you Billfred for the nomination, it means alot.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Oink, oink, POW!

Also, burrito.

That is all.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Gratz Mike, it's going to be a pleasure getting to work with you this year.

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Congratulations Mike. You certainly worked hard for it.

1902 owes a lot to you, not least the Oink Oink Boom!

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Congratulations Mike, keep inspiring everyone with your dedication...


http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/at...d=122385848 5


Eric Grajales

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Woot Walker is awesome! Gratzies dude tremendous mentor, tremendous volunteer, tremendous friend. Deserving of a rowdy cheer, and as the originator of this cheer I find it only fitting. Someone will need to help me out tho.

OINK!!! OINK!!!

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Re: UFH: Mike Walker
 

Hahaha, that's how you motivate the drivers before finals. :)