Chesapeake WF Award

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Congratulations again, Dave, on winning this award. My first year on the team, I knew nothing. My second year on the team, I knew about all of the awards, but based on what I knew about you, sort of assumed this was the type of award you would have already won. Found out during my third year that team 116 had never submitted an entry for the Woodie Flowers award. Quite a few people were surprised about this, and we decided to change it come the 2005 season. The students voted, and you were their number one choice. Audrey, Joanne, Christine and I did talk about your role in FIRST overall, and wondered how they could not pick you, knowing who you are and what you do, but also wondering how they could pick you, for the same reasons. With this in mind, Audrey wrote her wonderful essay, for when it comes right down to it, whatever you give to FIRST, you give even more to our team.



And I have to share this with everyone because I overheard it and it was really touching and is just another example of why Dave is the type of person who makes you believe in heroes. After he got his award, people were crowding around to congratulate him. One of our students approached him to thank him and he just turned it around and complimented her on the work she did on the music for our team's animation. This student has a learning disability, and always worries she doesn't contribute enough (she is by far one of the sweetest people on the team, always ready to smile and compliment others). The fact that Dave took the time, during his moment of glory, to appreciate the work she did, did more for her self-esteem than the animation actually winning regional. I talked to her for a while about her future that night, and she is planning on going into graphic design (she also wants to one day mentor a robotics team) and while it's going to be a battle for her because of her learning disability, I think that the faith she now has in her own abilities will take care of half of the battle for her. I'm telling you, it was really moving, so much that I almost cried. It really brought home the realization that inspiration is a two way street. I go in hoping to inspire and find myself inspired, and I think that's the way it should be.

And while I am not that big on hero-worship, I am pretty darn proud to know Dave. However, this does not mean that I will stop picking on him (you know the old saying about leopards and their spots...) so yes, I did have a small part in this image. *

Heidi

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*find me in Atlanta for an actual button...