[Travis Hoffman]

Thank you so much to everyone who has expressed their kind words regarding this UFH award, whether they are posted here on Chief Delphi, sent via email, or said in person.

Once again, I am flattered and also surprised that so many people notice and appreciate the "little things". This is, of course, the same kind of stuff hundreds of as yet-unrecognized FIRST mentors, both young and old, do for their students and their teams every day, so I want to turn this around and thank all of you for doing such a wonderful job. Thank you especially to those who aren't used to hearing those words too often.

As Arefin's post deftly reminded me, throughout the course of a mentor's FIRST career, hundreds of people catch a fleeting glimpse of your mentoring efforts, and you aren't even aware of it. Many observe what you do and are inspired by your actions. These are the parents and school administrators who visit your shop and see you working with your kids during the build season. These are the people who walk by your pit and catch part of a conversation between you and students in need. They are your alliance partners who witness you comforting your drive team after a particularly tough loss, or the people who watch as you scurry from pit to pit offering up whatever assistance you can. While these people may not always be able to come forward and offer up their personal gratitude for your actions, you should still take comfort in the fact that people DO take notice of your kindness, and they silently appreciate what you do. As great programs like UFH work to uncover much of this silent inspiration and place it in the spotlight, may the unknown multitudes continue to be inspired by your mentorship efforts, and may the knowledge of their quiet appreciation further bolster your enthusiasm and commitment to the FIRST program.