Thank the ones you want to Thank.

[Arefin Bari]

Take a minute to thank the ones...


__________________________________________________ _______________
Before anyone on this forum, I would like to thank Brandon Martus for running chiefdelphi for years, which was the resource for most of us to meet.

First of all, I would like to start the post saying Thank you to EVERY single FIRSTers. This past week/weekend was memorable for me. Not only it was the last championship as a student on the team, it was also the best one. Team 108 (SigmaC@t) won the Curie Division (thanks to Buzz and the Killer Bees). For the first time, tears of joy came to my eyes when I realized how much I love FIRST. A lot of you probably have seen me too. I want to thank all my friends who were there to support me, who made me realize where I belong, and who I am. I want to thank all the great mentors out there who took few minutes out of their hand to talk to me. I appreciate every single one of you.

Thanks to Dean Kamen, Woodie Flowers, and Dave Lavery for keeping this going.

Thank you Andy Baker and John V Neun for spend time on me before the build season to teach me things that would help me in present and future. Ron (machinist from team 107), thank you so much for every single word you have said to/about me. Jim (mentor from 107), you are a great friend and a mentor. Al from Wildstang, thanks man for giving me some advises which will help me. Mr. Kressly, It was very nice to finally meet you in person. Paul, finally I got to meet one of the coolest mentor in FIRST (congrats on your WFA, you definitely deserved it). Gary Dillard, Warren, Ms. Lee, Eric whenever I need someone to talk to, you guys are always there. Karthik, it was really nice to see you and talk to you. Jaine, Tiffany... you guys are great. Jess (supposely my mom) from 103... I finally got to meet you and hang out with you. It was simply amazing. Bharat... an amazing friend and one dedicated member of team 25, you are awesome man. Teddy (team 237), Scott (team 237), two drivers from the team who are very inspiring. I don't want anybody to feel left out. Here are the group of people I would like to thank... (I met almost every single one of you).

Comes down to all the College Student mentors. Amanda, David, BIG MIKE, Dj Fluck, Cory, Andrew Rudolph, Ryan Albright, George Wallace who are there to inspire me, who are there to hold me back and show me that I need to come back to FIRST.

A special thanks goes out to a special person who just walked into my life and changed everything. It looks like all the luck I need is with me. The person is Neha.

This Championship 2005 has been the best robotics event I have attended throughout my High School career and you guys made it the BEST.

I feel like I can't get more lucky, I am with the person I want to be with, a gold medal on my neck... county student of the year award (which I received today (sunday)) on one hand... 4 years of full ride to college on the other hand (which I also received today).

Thanks to All volunteers, judges and refs who put in so much work to make this possible.

I finally want to thank Team 108 (SigmaC@ts) who let me be a part of them for the past 4 years, who showed me my destiny. Thanks to all the mentors, all the students, and my co-workers on team 108.

p.s.- I left out a lot of names out of this post. Its 12 midnight and I need some sleep. But All of my friends (you know who you are) have affected my success in one way or the other.

I love you all... Arefin will always be there for you.

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

I just want to reach out thanks to the seniors not just on my team, but all the seniors I know through robotics that have had an impact as friends and teachers. You know who you are, I talk to you online a lot, and on the phone.

However, for me it's impossible to see Seniors just disappear. Many of the seniors I know now are coming back to teams in the future, and I just want to heighlight some very special friends from Chief. I know theres' a lot more of you out there that I'm forgetting, and good luck to you too. But as I'm typing these names come to mind...

Ryan Dognaux (234) - Thanks for being an amazing friend. I knew you before I even started FIRST because of that crazy DDR , and the past two years have been awesome. Thanks for teaching me what FIRST is truly about, and for being the best friend you could be through ups and downs.

Lisa Perez (573) - Lisa, thanks for being a sibling. I can't say much more than that, becuase it's what you are. I'll be starving for some hangout time until the next time I come visit Michigan (which will be very soon).

Arefin Bari (108) - I don't know what to say to you, you crazy Floridian. You're amazing, and you've got the dedication and immense intellegence that'll take you through FIRST in college and beyond. Good luck with everything you pursue.

Jake Gallagher (134) - Thanks for a lot Jake, and for dealing with my strangeness. For what you've been through, especially the dissapointment of being unable to experience the Championship Event at the last minute, you are and always will be an amazing friend.

Kyle (365) - No matter what happens, you always seem to be there with some idea or some new outlook. You care so much about the people around you, and for your team, and for life, and for this organization. Good luck with everything, and be safe and happy!

Jess Jank (103) - Jess, for the short time I've known you, you've become both a sibling and a best friend. Thanks for talking to me, and thanks for being one of the people that understands and shares many ambitions, worries, feelings, and frights. Maybe we'll be roomies someday

Joey Gannon (1388) - You're an amazing friend an amazing teacher, in more ways than just helping me with random programming stuff. Your "little yellow huggy girl" wishes you luck at CMU, and reminds you that she will outgrow you sometime soon.

Matt Downs (180) - Thanks for being a sibling, in more ways than one . You and your crazy DDR-loving team have made this year great for me, and your energy and love of FIRST and dedication to so many aspects of your family and friends are immensely inspirational. Thanks for everything.

Scott Willson (180) - Thanks for a lot of stuff. For being a friend, for being a brother, for dealing with my lack of time for a lot of stuff, and for helping me get taller, both physyically (yay stretching) and mentally (yay confidence).

Max Lobovsky (1257) - Russian Jew pride all the way. Thanks for being there through a lot of stuff, and most importantly, for teaching me to question and question again and learn from everything. And thanks for being the only person on Chief Delphi who pronounces my full name right.

Steve Salvatore (MoeManiac) (365) - Thanks for your energy and your humor and for your caring friendship. Were it not for those qualities, many aspects of the past year would have been a lot tougher. I wish you the best of luck next year as a college kid, and I look forward to not staring at your stomach someday as far as height goes.

Harry (121) - I dunno what to think about you. You changed my first impression of you everytime you said anything, and really brought a lot of fun to the 2005 season. Thanks for being there, and thanks for chaperoning troublemaker Bridgette to the Hyatt this past weekend.

This is the group that first comes to mind when I think Chief Delphi seniors. I plan to post another few things soon, but for now, the Seniors will have to do. If I forgot you, trust me, there is another few posts coming.

Love,
Genia

[Bcahn836]

Seniors Farwell Speech

On behalf of all the seniors I would like to thank everyone on the team and all of those who keep this program afloat. To the mentors without your knowledge, commitment, patience, and guidance we would be just another group of lost kids. You bring inspiration to us all and have greatly affected our lives. Your guidance has shown us the unlimited possibilities in engineering and has caught the interest of us all. We thank you. To all of the students returning to the team next year, you have a great challenge ahead of you. I hope you all have learned something from us seniors, because next year you are the ones to take over and lead this team to greatness. This season has by far been our best season and we hope next year is even better. It has been a pleasure working with all of you through the times good and the bad, but as a team made it through. We thank you. To the parents who have put up with us through the season, during the late nights of the build season and the trips far from home. We are grateful for your patience and understanding and for letting us pursue our interest in engineering and technology. We thank you. To the sponsors and administration with your commitments and belief in this team all of this is possible. Your faith in us has given this team confidence and inspiration. We thank you.

Additionally I would like to thank everyone on Chief Delphi for the all the advice and knowledge you have given me, all of the fun times in chit chat in between, and most important the friendships made.
THANK YOU

[Barry Bonzack]

Is it possible to thank our teachers and mentors enough? I don't think so.

I went to the College FIRST conference while in Atlanta, and Leese said something that stuck in my mind.

As far as I am concerned, teachers are the backbone of FIRST

This being said, none of the students I know could put a hand on a piece of aluminum if it weren't for our teachers. There are some ultra-dedicated super-teachers out there like Mrs. Passmore (233), Nathan Pell (1083) and Gordan Andrews (1402), Mrs. Suzy Garrison (1543), Mr. Roger Johnston and Mr. Dennis Susol (1065). I'd like to send a special thanks to all of my teachers Mr. Jones, Mrs. VanderZl, especially Mr. Donald Fritts (1604) and Mrs. Kathleen Collier (1390). Without the efforts of these teachers I've mentioned, there would be 7 Florida teams that I know of that would be out of some serious luck.

Of course all mentors that have taught me in my local area deserved thank, Disney Engineers Phu Nguyen (1402), Dan Welsh, and John Wrains (1390) as well as all of the others from other teams. Also local engineers in the area has influenced the way I think in multiple ways, Amos Decarmo and Jeff Wilcox.


Next is a very special group of people I hold as true inspiration, because I did not meet them face to face until this week. Every Mentor out of state, as well as students that have been an asset to the making of my team and help with my chairman's entree, all of you are awesome. I have too many to even name, but if one were to check my "list of people to meet" page, they are all in there.

GIANT thanks to Jenny "Robomom" Beatty and the rest of FIRST NEMO. Can't say enough times how this organization is a true inspiration to me, and how it makes me want to continue so I may someday inspire others.




-Thanks.

[tiffany34990]

Awww nice post Arefin…

My thanks goes to:

S.P.A.M: I’ve been with the team for the past 6 years..i’ve grown up a bit..( I think)….Thanks to the mentors: Warren B, Gary D., Eric S, James J, Bruce T.,Mr. Higgins, Mrs. Carey…and the rest of the gang…you all have truly made an huge impact on my life. I’ve learned so much especially the past two years machining thanks to Jack. My teammates..former and present: you guys rock! I love the S.P.A.M. family. I will miss being apart of the team truly (even color coding the allens and all the extra little things I do for you all) Thanks for being a great team! I will forever remember everyone and the fun times like this year dancing the YMCA during the cockeye joy in closing ceremonies to running the spirit runs in Houston, building the robots and working in the pit during the stressful times. We went down in style this year

To my rents and big bro..thanks for support me and allowing me to do this. You guys are great!! Especially thanks to my big bro..if u didn’t do this I wouldn’t be here. Mom well thanks for helping with everything and traveling w/ us.

To mentors on other teams: thanks for great talks during the competitions…especially those great engineers on 179…swamp and s.p.a.m. make a great family. You all inspire me even more.

RCU—thanks to the founders the members…this is a great union to be apart of…

Soap 108—I have to say thanks for what you all do..I’m glad I get to see my fav. matches…great job as always

FIRST itself…w/o this program I don’t know what I would be doing in life and know what I want to do.

CD community…you guys all rock! I don’t know all of you but reading posts and meeting some of you is great!! I wish I could know all of you but that’s impossible. Thanks of course to the moderators for doing a great job.

My final thanks will go to my buddies out there in FIRST..you all know who you are…thanks for being such great friends..when I’m stressed you guys always remind me the great things about life and support me in all that I do. You all are great friends I’m glad I have you all to call friends sometime I don’t think I deserve all of you. (to my best friend: you know who you are—we have been through a lot together..and still will go on helping each other out I know..you are the best thing that entered my life last year and still one of the best things ever..thanks for everything.. I can go on and on about what you do…I love you..)

And I love all my buddies out there….barry, Amanda, all the mikes that I know (to many of you all), tytus, peter, billfred, george, david, and everyone one else sry to miss names…and to my new friends this year too...i'm always there for you all..if you need me hollar...

THANK YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!!!

[Freddy Schurr]

THANKS FOR EVERYONE AT FIRST AND EVERY TEAM