UFH: Kimberly O'Toole

[dhitchco]

This is cool that someone nominated Kim for CD "Unsung Hero" award.

I'm an adult mentor on team 1511, Rolling Thunder from Harris Corp and Penfield High School. It's our 2nd year as a FRC team, and we went all the way to win the championship rookie all-star award last year under "general" Kim's command.....

She's been a true inspiration to each of the students and to us as mentors as well. We tee-ed up her name this year for Woodie Flowers, and yes, she definitely is a "WFA winner in the making" as FIRST has been so deeply ingrained in her lifestyle and rubs off on each of us every day in so many ways.

We chewed-off an awful lot of projects this past year, but everyone on the team stepped-up to the challenges including the 151 thunderbolt community service projects. Kim led us every step of the way.

Stop by the red-camo pit at the 2006 World Championships in Atlanta to congratulate Kim and see gracious professionalism in action. I'm the old guy in the red camouflage tux jacket with Woodie!

[Conor Ryan]

Congrats Kim, after I crashed your team meeting the other day with Jay I realized how good of a leader you are. You earned this one!

[RoboMom]

Kudos to Kim!

[JVN]

Kim,
This is well deserved.
Thanks for all you've done for FIRST, and all you've done for me.
You're truly an inspiration.

-JV

[Greg Needel]

oh man....what to say about this one. Well back in 2004 Joe Ross came up to me and told me about this woman who worked at Harris who had alot of FIRST involvement. I remember vividly going into the career fair at RIT that year and trying to persuade the Harris employee doing interviews to give us her contact information. Well we didn't get it but i finally met her before the 2005 season. Little did i know that this woman was going to change the face of Rochester FIRST forever. Beyond Kim's obvious achievements on 1511, 229, and 176 she has truly impacted the FIRST community. As the driving force behind many different activities to bring Rochester together (rally, ruckus, etc) she has become an inspiration for not only the students on the team but many different teams and mentors, including myself. It would only be a slight exaggeration to say that if mentors involved with FIRST asked themselves "what would Kim do?" we would be able to accomplish about 100 times more with this organization.

Thanks for everything Kim.

Greg

[AcesPease]

Kudos Kim

Nice Picture.

Should I dig one up from '96 ????

[dhitchco]

I will pay "big thunder bucks" for anyone coming-up with funny (embarrasing) pics of Kim from her years in FIRST......so, sure...dig through all those great archives of FIRST and laugh along with the RollingThunder team.

Pics will be posted to our three 19" LCD video wall at 2006 championships.

No, Kim, you can't have the password to the pit PC to delete them.....ROFL

[Greg Needel]

Originally Posted by dhitchco

I will pay "big thunder bucks" for anyone coming-up with funny (embarrasing) pics of Kim from her years in FIRST......so, sure...dig through all those great archives of FIRST and laugh along with the RollingThunder team.

Pics will be posted to our three 19" LCD video wall at 2006 championships.

No, Kim, you can't have the password to the pit PC to delete them.....ROFL

I'll throw down also.....

[Kims Robot]

Wow..... thats about all I can say

Thanks to all of you for your kind words... Its funny to see how broad a spectrum FIRST has become, and its amazing to see how many people have such cool memories and stories (gosh, even just when I was volunteering at GTR! yes-I do remember all those teams!), and amazingly kind words!! jeez did I really do all that??

And yes, I actually picked that picture... I looked for a nice one like Ellery had, but all of them Im either buried in a pile of teammembers, hugs, or whatever... or there was this one that all my kids seem to love I think the silly pictures look better anyway! I want everyone to remember to have fun... especially at this time of year!

Thanks again everyone... I just hope Im giving as much back to FIRST as my mentors (as Mr. Pease indicates!) gave to me!

[Tim Delles]

Okay so i got looking through some pictures on our website and realized hey that the unvieling of the robot in 2000 was when i decided I wanted to do FIRST. You know it wasn't the greatest robot, but I saw that everyone on the team had been brought together to focus on a common goal. And i found it interesting.

Also at that time Kim was talking while they were trying to get the robot to function correctly (if i remember right). She said something along how FIRST was here to help inspire students to become more active in the science and technology world. But she also said it was also here to help kids out, and to build lasting friendships, to educate them, and to get them hyped about almost anything you could think of.

But anyone who wants can check out our gallery if you wanna try and find some good pictures of Kim.

[Greg Needel]

searching for picture of ball paints.

[Chris]

A very well deserved UFH award.

Kim you've always been a great sounding board, and a great friend. Thanks for all the advice over the years. And thank you for founding 229, it was a heck of a ride the four years i've been here. Any kids we suceed in inspiring now, we couldn't have done with out you. Kudos

Chris C.
Team 229

[Steve S.]

Its about time!!! Congrats Kim!!

You definetly deserve it.....

[mpob]

Kim,

This is wonderful, and you are so deserving!

As I tell people you are a Master Mentor, you not only encourage and inspire the students but everyone around you including all of the Mentors!

It is a privilege to know you and to work with you

Keep up the great work!

Congrats!
--Mike

[nehalita]

Kim,

I haven't met you yet but reading your description sent excited shivers down my spine. I hope to meet you one day =).