I have known Mr. Florence for 5 years, both as a teacher and as the head advisor on Team 461, and of all the things he is good at, he is great at one of them: Inspiring people to have a passion for something. For me that passion was robotics, and he did everything he could to help my passion for engineering grow stronger.
Flo is a great engineer, both because he knows the answers (and offers helpful suggestions and tips) to all of my questions and ideas and because he does not talk to you in numbers. He does not carry a TI-89 with him and have you look at the answer; he goes beyond that. Flo tells you, after glancing at the inventor file, part, or drawing, whether or not something works, and how to "make it work" better. Flo knows his lab (the tech lab where we build the robot), and always offers suggestions for improving parts that don't require additional trips to the ME Machine Shop or to Ace's.
Flo himself brings a huge passion for Robotics and a love for the team. He always wishes for the best, both for the team and for every team member. I used to have social problems as an 8th grader (in his class) and as a freshman and sophmore, and he helped me through those problems, and even helped me become friends with my former enemies.
Flo definitely deserves this award because he is passionate, he is a great engineer, and an excellent person.
Congratulations to Mr. Florence, who always makes it happen.
