Hi everyone!
Here is this weeks question…
**Question of the Week (7/19/04):
Who is 1 person (Mentor, Student, or Volunteer) who left an imprint on your FIRST experience in 2004?**
As always, suggestions for the Question of the Week are welcomed. Reach me by PM, E-Mail ([email protected]), or AIM (QuietRiverRage1).
Have a good one!
-Andy Grady
This is simple for me and my whole team. Cokeley(25’s Mentor), what he did was amazing. Coming to a regional like that, more or less tattered, in horrible shape, and staying the whole time and making an attempt to root us on and pay attention. That really showed his love for the team and love for the kids. It was really an inspiration for us to do good and achieve more. I really cant put it into words how much it really meant to us looking back on it now, it was just an amazing show of perserverance.
Im sure Bharat(tekno bramha) will come and post something here, he is alot better with words then me.
This year it was a student.Mostly because of how much she grew as a team member during the season. Her name was ALex Leonard. She didn’t start out too well. She hung out in the PAW room alot and goofed off. I really couldn’t see her being an X-Cat for all four of her years but as the season moved along she became more and more involved in team activities, particularly in the off season and I can actually picture her in a leadership role on the team.
We had alot of kids who impressed me, graduation seniors like our back up human player (and Wilson Magnet Valedectorian) Alice who is always willing to help and Sean our team captain (basically Mr. X-Cat) and veteran team members like our team spirit queens Lizzie, Brittany and Naomi, who seemed to be involved in everything and newbies like Ben who has taken the mantel of team captain and many more. The team is in good hands with these kids and I’m feeling pretty good about the X-Cats future.
This question is so good, I think I’ll even reply to it myself! 
The person who left the biggest inpact to me this year, is actually a person who was in himself, a microcosm of the spirit of a whole region. This year marked the first ever regional which I was able to announce at, NYC FIRST. It also marked the first time I met one of the regional organizers at that competition, Rich Wong. After spending so much time in FIRST, it is sometimes hard to remember exactly what makes FIRST so wonderful. However, when you look into the eyes of Rich and see the excitement and genuine caring he brings to the students of the NYC Region, you can’t help but feel inspired, no matter what your previous experience as been. The regional itself was amazing. I hadn’t been to a competition with so much electricty, and such a fun atmosphere since my early days when the New England Regional was held at New Hampshire College. The kids were amazing, showing so much spirit all around the room. In the middle was Mr. Wong, charging back and forth with an excited fire in his eyes and never a moment without a smile. Heck, I dont think I ever saw one person in that building without a smile that day (well, except maybe for the pit announcer ). Here’s to you Rich Wong and the rest of the NYC area, and thank you for making me a believer once again.
Wow, I love this question. I definitely would have to say our mentor, Miss Jenny. On here, she’s RoboMom007. She’s such a wonderful woman.
When I first joined Robotics in '03, I had wanted to do stuff involving the robot. I didn’t realize how much work was involved without working on the robot itself. So, since I didn’t know much about technology (which is why you’ll never see me reply to any technology threads ;)) I decided to help Miss Jenny with the business work. She taught me so much! She really made me feel like I was a part of the team, even when sometimes the guys would make me feel inferior (I love my team, don’t get me wrong…but you know how it goes with annoying freshmen like I was back then…;)). She comforted me and helped me through a lot of tough times I had to get through. When I had a tough time understanding some things, she was very patient and helped me through every little thing until I understood. Not many people can be that patient. Miss Jenny really made an impact on me, and I know I’ll never forget her, nor what she taught me.
Miss Jenny, you’re the best!
–d0ri
Now, this will sound a bit corny but… Andy Grady
Although I did not meet Andy until sometime around the UTC regional, he probably showed me more about FIRST than anyone has before. In previous year, on my team, it was about our team, and only our team, maybe sometimes who we needed to do well. This year, our team decided to try and stop that, but old habit die hard. It was UTC alliance picking time and we were not in the Top 8, but doing fairly well. We had really only talked to one or two teams about being together. So I stood waiting, hoping to be picked. Low and behold, 126 picks us. There is much rejoicing, yet almost no reassurance, for, at that point, we had no idea who they were (our scouts were a bit…touchy and didn’t like doing their job) But to our joy, 126 has Andy Grady amongst other fantastic people on their strategy team, and know exactly what’s going on. I mean, they help up a sign saying who to pick 3rd round. All throughout the finals, we would play a match, then run out to the stands, and there would be Andy and his strategy team, telling us exactly what we needed to know and what to do. Not only would he tell us, but he would also listen, made sure we had no problems and then reassure us and tell us to go kick butt. We came in a very close 2nd.
After UTC, i would still talk to Andy, having previously seen him on CD. When nationals rolled around, we talked a bit more, disappointed we wouldn’t have a chance to wreck up with them in the same division. But we had fun anyway! At least once a day, if not twice, Andy would stop by our pit, ask us how we were doing, and tell us we were gonna do great. We also had a scouting agreement to help each other out if we ever got to Einstein. Well, we didn’t do so hot, but we still had fun, and that’s what mattered.
Again, after the season, we still talked a little. It was only in the few weeks previous to Battlecry that i learned of Andy’s past!:ahh:
Never did i think one single person could be on so many teams!! It comes to light that no one dislikes Andy Grady, he is a great guy, and helps out everyone he comes in contact with it. Since he no longer offcially has a team, he announced at BC and had a good time doing it, still coming when he could to check on us, or talking to us while que-ed. What was espcially entertaining was out pit backed up to the crack in the bleachers through which we could talk to Andy. Many know, Andy won the BC STAR award, and well deserving.
Now, as this may seem normal to many, I had never previously seen this happen, such a nice guy, so well connected and so happy to just be at a competition. Andy Grady has truly left an impression.
Andy you have brought up a great question for this week.
Thus after long thoughts and great occurances i am going to have to choose the same person as Andy Grady did, Mr. Rich Wong.
I strated to talk with Mr. Wong last year about FIRST and the work he does in NYC. Recently though at the 2004 NJ/J&J Regional, I got to finally meet Rich in person. He worked as assistant field manager for Saturday to learn his role for the 2004 NYC Regional as Field Manager. I was invited to work a the Regional by Mr. Wong and Randy Schaeffer, the NY/NJ FIRST Regional Director. While at th NYC regional like Andy Grady was, i was reinspired through FIRST. Not many of the NYC teams have the oppertunites that many opther FIRST teams have, with their shops and budgets and other things, but they have prob the most enthusiasm and spirit that any team/group of teams in FIRST have. I learned alot that i had forgotten coming from a privlidged team and wish i could work more with the teams in New York City, because i believe they could teach me more. Rich has worked with many FRC teams and countless FLL teams and Fll events through out all of NYC and has done more then i think many of us will do for one state to spread the ideas of FIRST. I am honored to be able to attend the 2005 NYC regional once again as a crew member and would like to welcome all of you to come and compete or to help out there also. Once again, thank you rich for everything you have done for FIRST, NYC and for the countless people you have inspired…
Wow. Only one huh? Not to slight any of the dozens I could list here - mentors and students from 103, mentors/volunteers from around the country, …
I’m going to say Meredith Rice from 433. 433 is a team that 103 has worked closely with in the past. Since my old HS Physics teacher (Bob Foell) runs the team I have always made an effort to stay in contact with them. They’ve got a super bunch of mentors and students and they’re fun to be around. As a senior this past year Meredith (along with some other great senior leaders) took it upon herself to champion the cause for outreach among team members and out into the community and she also put together 433’s first ever Chairman’s Award submission. This led to a Judge’s Award at the SC Regional, but it doesn’t stop there. I also saw, thanks again to Meredith and others, that 433 had great young recruits who were, at the end of 2004, groomed and ready to continue the community outreach and Chairman’s process for the team. I will always remember 2004 as the year 433 became a “complete” FIRST team in every sense of the word and how the spirit and determination of a single individual elevated the experience for the entire group. Thank you Meredith and good luck at the University of Delaware.
I’m going to second Meredith, with honorable mention to the rest of the Firebirds at Palmetto. Between the fiveish of them, I think it really sank in that nobody in FIRST will bite…much. It helped me at least (and probably the rest of the team, too) sort out how everything worked, from meeting other folks to begging Fisher-Price motors off of other teams (namely us).
And even afterward, thanks to the wonders of AIM, she’s been pretty helpful in listening to ideas and giving me some ideas for next year (even if she doesn’t know it yet).
Long story short, she’s just sple–wait, can’t say that word (in-joke)–cool.
Mr. Cokeley has really left an imprint on my life. He is an amazing leader, and one of the most dedicated people i have ever met. this year was so incredibly tough for him, but at no point did he falter in his leadership. he had a stroke early in the season, and even during his hospital stay he had emails sent to us through his wife. It’s evident that leading the team to success is his first priority at all times. During the season we had a crisis. One student betrayed the team, and Cokeley dealt with the situation as responsibly as anyone could. Ending everything without blame or anger. Our robot also had several problems, and through all of these tribulations Cokeley perservered. He is an inspiring leader and a great man.
(teknobramha helped me with this. that’s teamwork yo 
)
Third to Wayne Cokeley(CD username WayneC.). The most amazing and inspiring character I’ve met in FIRST. Wayne has definately shown me the character of a true leader. If I were in his place, and after getting a stroke, and having kids trying to secceed the team, and all sort of robot problems, organize the team, and then take care of my family and then school, I think I would be dead, especially after a stroke.
By nationals, we had a well-organized team, we came up with the “Cool Squad”, and started talking a lot of positive stuff, it was a pleasurable experience, only because of Cokeley. I might as well include his wife Lauralynne Cokeley, who has put forth extra-ordinary efforts in keeping this team organized.
I think it was extremely courageous of Wayne to come down to the NJ regional when he had JUST been released from the hospital, after being in there for 2-3 weeks. I don’t want this to sound like a UFH submission or a Woodie Flower submission, but I don’t think there is anybody else I who has imprinted a better FIRST experience in me.
Thats my bit,
-Bharat Nain
-True team 25er
I have found that I have grown quite a bit as a person this year and great part of is a result of being in robotics! :yikes: The lead teacher of my school and one of the men responsible for the start of our team also shares my sentiment. I believe that he, Mr. Osterman, has been in great part responsible for my activeness and involvement in FIRST. He has always made sure to tell me how my efforts and work are really appreciated in our team. He has encouraged me, defended me, and helped me with team and school related things! He has always helped me to feel as a very important part of the team … besides being a girl … and he makes sure that everyone feels like they are truly part of the team. He is always encouraging everyone and he has soo much dedication and enthusiasm for our team and for FIRST!! 
I’m very thankful that he accepted the idea that Stephen Kowski came to him with (of starting a robotics team at our school) . I have matured a great deal in the way that I go about to accomplish things now, and he has been part of that “growing”. He is a great coach and person … I’m very glad to have him as one our teams mentors.
I’m also very much inspired by all of our team members:
You are a very big part of our team and we couldn’t have made it as far as we did without you!! Thank You for everything!!
**Every student and mentor on our team has left an imprint, however, the person who had the biggest impact on me from the 2004 season is a young kid whose name I don’t even know. (here’s a picture of him ) He was a student on a FIRST Lego team and I met him at the tournament our team helped out with. I believe he was either a 5th grader or a 6th grader, but while other kids his age admired our robot and asked the usual “Battle Bots” questions and joked with their friends about what they would do with a robot like ours, he quietly examined every single part of the robot, occasionally looking up to ask me a question about specific parts… sometimes they were questions I couldn’t answer. He watched every video we had playing twice! Whenever his team had to compete, they had to come and drag him away. Whenever his team finished a match, he came right back. After a while, he sat on the floor with me and we talked “robotics”. He had watched the 2003 Championships on the NASA channel and was eager to discuss the game. Finally, keeping my fingers crossed but dreading the answer, I asked him what high school he was zoned for. I could have cried when he said “South Lakes”. South Lakes is where the Herndon team started, and while I’m not 100% sure why they left, I’ve heard it was messy. At the end of the day, he brought his family by to see our robot. I gave him and his family my e-mail address and an invite to visit our team during the build season. I also gave him some contact information for a local team consisting of home schooled students and students from schools that do not have teams. He still has a few years of middle school before high school, so maybe things will change, maybe his family will move and he’ll go to a school that has a team. Or maybe South Lakes will change their mind… Or his parents will let me adopt him (okay, so that’s not going to happen, but still…)
I left the tournament a little broken-hearted over his situation, but I also left with a wonderful feeling that “this” is what outreach is all about. And as corny as it may sound, it made me feel a connection to FIRST that I hadn’t felt before because to me (and to way too many other people, I’m sure) FIRST was always about “my team”. It’s not anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I am still completely dedicated to my team, but when I go to competitions now, I’m cheering for everyone.
Heidi
<shameless plug> All of you have great essays written here! You should nominate these for the Unsung FIRST Hero Award!
</shameless plug>
I’d say that the person whom left the biggest mark would be Brandon Martus (big surprise). His dedication to the behind-the-server world of FIRST is amazing. His time put into these forums is incredible. Brandon also runs other recreational sites and whatnot, but he always helps out FIRST in whatever little ways he can. Even when this crazy roadtripping Indiana-er called him up to go to Canada’s Wonderland, of all places, he agreed. My parents are a little skeptical about me going on roadtrips by myself, so Brandon has been my roadtripping buddy for competitions all over the midwest, including the Detroit and Midwest Regional. He provoked me after going to the first Michigan Team Forum to come back up the very next day for another… and let me crash on his couch. I drove back down to Indiana the next day for work. We’ve hung out at regionals (Midwest, Detroit), off-seasons (Canada’s Wonderland, IRI), and even in Atlanta. Brandon has been my FIRST buddy through and through.
Sorry, but I’m going to ‘break the rule’ of 1 person, and mention 2! Sorry :rolleyes:
First, My team co-captain, Jeff Babbie. His role included programming the robot. Great kid, did a fantastic job programming the robot, works really well with everyone on the team. Is generous, supportive and totally reliable. Shows up for every event, does everything asked of him, whether it’s a menial task or not. Comes early, stays late. Great sense of humor.
Kids like him are why I mentor a FIRST team every year.
Second, My wonderful engineer, Bob Koehl. The best ever. Excellent mentor and teacher, passionate about engineering and FIRST. Makes the kids do the work. Makes the kids figure everything out. Yells when he needs to, praises when he needs to. He can do it all and he can teach it all- programming, design, mechanical, electrical. Wow! We LOVE Bob!
I have to say my team’s new mentor for last year, Paul Schmidt. He came in to the project not knowing much about the program, just what he saw from visiting for a day at competition. But he worked very hard to see this team, and more importantly its members, succeed.
i have had many great mentors over the years-- this is soo hard to pick just one that has help me this year and years passed. But THANKS to all the great mentors on my team for helping but i really would like to say a big thanks to Jack our machinest. He joined our team and made a huge contribution. He is willing to teach us everything he knows about each machine. Without him this year, we wouldn’t have been able to make as many parts as we did in our pit. He got hooked to FIRSt so we’re glad he is gonna stick on-- if u ever want to know anything and S.P.A.M. is around and he’s there in the pits-- go up and ask him. He’ll be happy to help and finds other ways to solve a problem. He def. knows the tricks to the trade.
During the season, I was never in the pit (except for taking pictures and such) and now, I give thanks to Mrs. Lee and Jack for introducing me to the pit. Mrs. Lee is one of our mentors, as well as a teacher, who does a great deal for the team. She organized a Girl’s Camp for the girls on our team as well as help us in our plans to make the RCU an active organization in Florida. Hopefully, with the help of mentors like Mrs. Lee, we can get more girls intrested in robotics, and help all girls learn, that they too can do anything. 
***To Tiffany: You are the student on our team I aspire to be someday. I’m sure you will be our best team captain yet. I will miss you sooo much next year. It’s so sad, this is your last year on our team. 
Its really hard to decide whos the one who helped through your FIRST experience… when you have all these great mentors, teachers and FIRSTers around you… working with you 24/7, helping you out anyway possible… some names… Felix alvarez from my team (our mechanical engineer who has been such a great friend and a great mentor), Mr. Stan Shelton … (our teacher who has been working with the team and organizing everything)… Andy Baker (an Engineer whom everyone admires… everytime when i had a technical question… i had a solution from him) Gary Dillard, erik, matt, tiffany, mary (pit crews of SPAM) has always helped me, they gave me two globe motors which made our robot arm work at nationals… Ron and Jim from 107 (looks like they always bring their machine shop for our team)… Brandon Martus and DJ (any problems with chiefdelphi for me gets solved in min)… my fellow FIRSTers… Tytus, Mike walker, Andrew Rudolph, George (1083), Dan (studmandan), Ryan, Abe, Peter, Mandie (179)… from my team… jimbo (specialagentjim), Michele (co manager with me for the mechanical team), Matt Kaplan (matt_kaplan108)… they are always there when i need them…
then Finally My family… they have always supported me with my decisions, when i first asked my dad about joining robotics, his response was “i trust you… do what you think is right… just follow your heart”… mommy always tells me that concentrate on what i am doing… and my younger brother is following me to be a FIRSTer…
just like i said to one of the newscast people at UCF… “when i first joined back in my freshman year… i thought this is just one of my side activity, hobby or spare time activity… but after time has passed by throughout my sophomore year, junior year … FIRST has become my life… and i admire all of my fellow FIRSTers…”
Every year I get to do this, there’s a student or two that I watch engage in creativity and get excited about building something cool, and wanting more. It all reminds me of when I was a kid and used to tear everything apart and construct whatever I could. Learning like this is unequaled in our society. To be a part of that, and to help them in it is an honor. Though as mentors we may not be perfect or even suited for it, regardless the students themselves benefit from the shear scale and nature of this event/process and the environment we create for them.
That said Tytus really reminds me of how I was. He can’t get enough and isn’t hindered by anything (which was dangerous in the beginning). He’s matured drastically since he started. I remember the first meeting he came to. He was frantic and wirey whizzing around a video game, not paying attention. But as soon as we got his hands dirty, he was scarred for life. At first I was afraid to leave him alone, now I have a great amount of confidence in him. He’s really turned out great, and I’m very proud of him, he’s going to be a contributor.
Also I’ve grown very fond of Amanda. She’s such a great kid. From day one she’s been as helpful as she could be. She’s always been productive and focused. She’s wanted to learn about everything, and it only took once to explain anything to her. She’s very careful and skilled with her hands and puts quality into everything she does. She’s also valedictorian of her school so that’s testament to her character.
Fairly speaking I could go on about many kids, there really are a lot that I’m glad to have met. Many have graduated and gone to other things, but all seem to check back in and we get to see them. I hope FIRST and 179 live on to tell more stories like these. Thanks FIRST and Thanks to all the folks who plug in!