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»Michael Bastoni (1998)
| Michael Bastoni |
Name: Michael BastoniWFA Year: 1998 Years involved w/FIRST: 7 FIRST Team(s): () Role: Team Advisor Quote: “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” - Robert Heinlein “Time Enough for Love” Bio: Michael Bastoni was awarded the WFA Award in 1998 and is currently working with many programs to enhance science and engineering programs in schools across the nation. What was it like to win the WFA?: I never thought of the WFA as an award to be “won”, rather it is an affirmation that students are able to celebrate (their) achievement through the clear articulation of values and attitudes that lead to success. I was honored and deeply grateful to be associated with such fine young people and when the award was handed to me, I held it with the dozens of hands that helped make that moment possible. Favorite FIRST Memory: My FIRST journeys left me with hundreds of special memories, none more precious than the other, and each one includes the students, teachers, engineers, parents and friends I met through FIRST. That journey began in a place that is for me, very special. In a crowded, dimly lit high school gymnasium in Manchester New Hampshire I saw, heard, and felt, for the first time, the power and potential of a community of people high on the energy and excitement of learning, knowing, doing and sharing their passion and potential. That moment continues to drive my enthusiasm for learning with my students. FIRST accomplishments: Our accomplishments were made possible through the gifts of time, energy, talent and ideas of participating students, parents, engineers, educators and corporate sponsors Clearly, their passion and enthusiasm fueled an impressive list of achievements over the 6 year period between 1994 – 2000. The success of the Capital Invitational as well as the 4 Rumble at the Rock events helped pave the way for the development of post national events by demonstrating that FIRST participants were willing and eager to remain engaged in their engineering passions and pursuits. Our program helped to expand the role of a FIRST mentor by focusing on the significant contributions and talents afforded by the parents of our students. Parents are capable, loving people whose collective talents pay the rents and mortgages, car and travel expenses and who have the character necessary to maintain a successful career in addition to the demanding commitments made to family and friends. We recognized early on that these parents had much to offer the young people who participate in FIRST. Our team also learned to mine the personal, economic and political resources and talents available at local, state and national levels, and clearly and creatively shared their strategies with the FIRST community. I believe the FIRST community recognized the synergistic effect of this expanded mentoring model by supporting our efforts with three Chairman’s Award in the Making nominations, in addition to the 1998 Chairman’s Award. I remain especially proud of the students, parents, business and political leaders and the greater Plymouth community for recognizing and modeling the important values of hard work, team commitment and the desire to consistently improve and increase what they know and are able to do. What are you up to these days: I am trying to age gracefully. It is difficult and somewhat unbecoming at times to have a boys mind in an older man’s body. I divide my time as best I can among several passions; My family, teaching and learning and several businesses I am involved in. I remain deeply committed to high school science and engineering education, and my students continue to compete in engineering competitions. Over the past decade we have been involved in FIRST, Electrathon Racing, BattleBots and BattleBots IQ. As a result of our participation in these programs, dozens of Plymouth North High School students are currently attending or have graduated from engineering and technical colleges and universities nationwide. I am grateful that so many different high school engineering avenues of achievement now exist, and I remain committed to helping all of them serve the best interests of the students who participate in them. Over the past 4 years, with the help of present and former students, I’ve continued to author online “Competitive Physics” resources in an effort to help stimulate high school engineering programming and competitions nationwide. In a continuing effort to make engineering education accessible to high schools, I started a company based on a concept that was introduced in our 1996 Chairman’s Award entry. The GEARS Invention and Design System is a product used to engage students and teachers in the engineering and design process and at the same time use mathematical models and physical science principals to build mechanisms, modules and machines that can be used to solve mechanical challenges. This work provides me with the opportunity to travel the country through out the summer months providing educational workshops for teachers and school systems willing to foster hands on science and engineering programs. Advice to FIRST-ers: All of us are wonderfully complex arrangements of character and talent. We are capable of significant achievement and success when we work cooperatively and share in who we are and what we know. Character is forged in the furnace of hard work and commitment and it is tempered by respect and graciousness. These are the currencies that successful people trade in. These are qualities that we can all cultivate in ourselves and in others. Talent is born of passion, matures with effort and practice, and is the perfect compliment to good character. My advice; spend you time developing character and talent both in yourselves and in others. What does mentoring mean to you?: Mentoring is a heroic act. Heroes willingly assume risk and share several character traits. They are unselfish and giving, they are compassionate and understanding and they communicate these virtues to others. Mentors willingly accept the risks and rewards of shared responsibility and leadership. The reason that so many willing mentors are successful is because they have spent their lives developing character and talent, and are particularly adept at sharing them. Other Stuff: I am grateful for many things. I am particularly grateful to be a teacher and for the opportunity to participate in the adventure of learning and doing. I am grateful for the many gracious and talented young people with whom I have shared the wit, wisdom and wonder of living, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share the honor of the Woodie Flowers Award. Congratulations to Mike Bastoni for receiving the Woodie Flowers Award in 1998. |
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