[fuzzwaz]

I did not want to answer this until I had a response that I felt was suitable for the question beyond my gut reaction of "because it is a great experience for your team!"

I wrote the 2011 submission for my team. I was inspired by what my team had done the year before with their submission and so I decided to take lead on a task that I had little to no experience on. I think it was very well said so far in the thread how being able to go through the process is extremely beneficial. The essay and presentation will put you leaps ahead in your communication and writing skills but there is something much more rewarding about submitting a Chairman's Award.

A Chairman's submission is the casting of a step. Each year your team goes out and does what your team does. Whether it is school demos, recruitment drives or something completely different. Every team has something they do and every team is unique in that way. The submission is your chance to try and sum up everything you and your team has done and what you are the most proud of. In that sense, you essentially leave your mark on the team. You are saying that up until this point, here is everything our team in proud of including the contributions of my year-my generation.

The submission becomes your baby in a way. You are so proud of what you have done and why not? Any team that has the will to go through the submission process IS a Chairman's team already. At the end of the competition, sitting in your seats will be a truly scary experience.

What happens next. Well that does not really matter. You have already accomplished what you set out to do. All your contributions are kept in your submission. A submission which will continue to live on with not only your team but with you as a person. Every year I come back to listen to our presentation and read our submission. Every year I tune in to see how my team does at the competitions because still till this day, I feel like my contributions are still there. That future generations will continue to build on what my generation left and every submission that my team will ever submit will contain a piece of me in some way shape or form. Losing does not change this.


Seeing our robot each year is exciting. Watching it compete is always a fun experience but it will never truly be the same as it did when I was still a student on the team. But every year, when the moment comes to announce the Chairman's award at any of our competitions, I feel the same tingles and butterflies in my stomach that I did in 2011. It is one of the strongest and most rewarding bonds I have been able to form with the program and with my team. I will always encourage everyone to submit for the Chairman's award and I will always applaud those who do.