Woodie Flower's Award Examples

[Andy Baker]

Andrew (and other students with similar aspirations),

Kudos to you for starting your Woodie Flowers Award nomination now. Too often, students put it off until the last week of the build season and they run out of energy.

Your idea of looking at past Woodie Flowers Finalist Award winning essays is a good one, but it is only a start. Here are some of my suggestions on this subject:

1. How does your candidate effectively communicate technical ideas to the team? What does he/she do to get their ideas across to the students and fellow mentors?
2. What impact does this mentor have on your team?
3. What impact does this mentor have on other FIRST teams, or FIRST in general?
4. Maybe this mentor has made a huge impact year after year after year, but only a few people know about it. Do your homework and succinctly describe their work for not only this FIRST season.

Students must be the people who are coordinating and writing the Woodie Flowers Award entries. www.firstawards.org is the place where students will enter the essays for the awards.

Although students are leading this effort, be sure to get other mentors to give input on this candidate's essay. They may know about them than the students do, as many of these mentors work side by side for numerous years. Get a teacher or a fellow writer to proofread your essay. Getting adult assistance is OK, but this project needs to be led by the students.

Also... keep in mind that simply nominating your teacher, engineer, or other adult mentor for this award is an award within itself. The fact that you students are making an effort to create recognition to your nominated mentor is cherished by that person, whether they win or not.

Andy Baker
2003 Woodie Flowers Award Winner

ps... thanks again, DJ Fluck