UFH: John Vielkind-Neun

FIRST General Forum
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Thread created automatically to discuss UFH Honoree: John E. Vielkind-Neun.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/ufh/image/1059346631JohnVNeun3.jpg](http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/ufh.php?action=honoreedetail&id=1)

Name: John E. Vielkind-Neun
Date Honored: 07-31-2003
Years involved w/FIRST: 4
FIRST Team(s): Division by Zero - Clarkson SPEED Program &, Massena Central High School &, Salmon River High School (0229)
Role: Team Leader
Quote: “If I have seen farther than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants." - Sir Issac Newton
Bio: John E. Vielkind-Neun is our first FIRST ‘unsung hero’ because of his outstanding accomplishments in the FIRST community. Hailing from Clifton Park and Potsdam, New York, John has been a member of two different FIRST teams in his four completed years in the program. On team #250, John was a student captain in high school, and both a driver and human player. Currently on team #229 “Division by Zero”, John was Team Leader in 2003 and Strategy Head in 2002. He tells us he tries to focus mainly on leadership, mechanical design, and strategy/coaching. He is also going into his Junior year at Clarkson, earning degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Physics.

Although John is very involved in the mechanical and leadership aspects of his team, he’s not all business. Some of his favorite FIRST memories include the Cleveland Regional in 2002, when his robot caught fire in Long Island in 2000 and his team had to settle for the silver as a result, “The Hail Mary” in Long Island 2001, and watching the finals in Houston this year from the field (and seeing Andy Baker win the Woodie Flowers Award). Some of his favorite ‘mentor memories’ include seeing this mentor from #250, Paul Kane, in Connecticut and Houston this year (“It was cool being able to show him everything I had done on #229”) and seeing their HS driver Brian head off to Embry Riddle in Arizona (“There is nothing quite like seeing one of the ‘kids’ you’ve been mentoring get into college, and move on”).

Now that he’s been through both high school and college FIRST teams, John’s got a little bit of advice for us to take to heart. “College Freshmen – Don’t jump right in to FIRST. Take some time, and get adjusted to college. Explore things… ‘find yourself’… FIRST is a tremendous time commitment, and doing it in college is like nothing you’ll experience. Take some time before you get into it.

“Everyone- Always be polite and courteous to mentors, any mentors. Be respectful, and listen… you’ll be surprised what they will be more than willing to teach you. Remember, no matter what, you don’t know everything. Listen to what everyone has to say… I’m still amazed what I learn from even my youngest HS kids. We all have a lot to learn and we also all have a lot to teach others. FIRST is an amazing opportunity for learning. Make friends, the people are what makes this competition great! Also, remember that refs are people, too. They are trying their best so that YOU can have a positive experience. Cut them some slack.”

He tells us that some of his greatest accomplishments in FIRST are ‘surviving as a college FIRST team mentor’, ‘becoming the first-ever college Head Referee’, and the humble ‘earning a few awards and medals here and there…’. He credits his most important accomplishment to pulling team #229 back together after the accident - “I’m still amazed at all the progress Eric and I have made since then, especially considering what this team went through.”

John is also very humble when chalking everything up to the people that got him where he is today. He says, “I have been honored here, so I feel it’s only fair to honor those who helped me get here. To honor me, should be to honor them… My father is a mechanical engineer, and he’s influenced my life in ways I can’t even begin to imagine… My mentor, Paul Kane from #250, who has taught me all about FIRST, and how to build these wonderful robots… Many of you don’t realize it, but your FIRST experience has probably been influence by Paul in some way. I’m proud to be one of his students… All the #229ers, especially Eric O’Brien and Chris Carnevale… I’ve really learned a lot since I came to #229, and Eric is one of the major reasons. He always provides me with another perspective on things, and drives me to the next level. Without Eric, I wouldn’t be half the mentor I am today. Chris Carnevale, the human FIRST database… he has helped to open my eyes to the “big picture” of FIRST. He (along with Eric and others) kept me sane during my season as team leader. Without them, I probably would have burned out completely.”

Lastly, he thanks the Chief Delphi community for his success. “I also have to give a shout out to all of the Chief Delphi “greats” (you know who you are). Reading the things you all have posted over the years has helped me grow into the person I am. So… thank you.”

Thank you, John, for your dedication and contributions to the FIRST community.

Nominated By: Amanda Morrison, Amanda Aldridge, Josh Hambright

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John E. Vielkind-Neun is our first honoree because of his exceptional contributions to FIRST. We picked John as our FIRST example because of his selfless acts to promote college FIRST - this is no easy task. John also pulled together his home team after struck by tragedy, something that should not go unnoticed. John has recently been a referee for the 2003 season of FIRST and a referee at the 2003 IRI. We are proud to have him in the FIRST community - thank you John, this program is better with you involved.

As you might have noticed…You’re all taking a lot of notice.

And the point of this thing? To notice.

So please, take notice.

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Congratulations John :slight_smile:

Cory

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Yes, congratulations, though I haven’t been to any of the regionals in the states further from the border, I’ve only heard good stories.

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Congrats. Keet it up too :slight_smile:

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Congrats John. :smiley: This UFH idea is great!

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First Off I need to Congratulate John on him being picked as an Unsung FIRST hero, he truly deserves it. Although I have only known John for a short time, and haven’t seen him face to face much. He has taught me loads about Physics and why things do what they do. He is a fountain of FIRST knowledge and will always talk to you (If he is not busy making up Freshmen Physics Labs :D) John showed my that with a lot of dedication and alot of hard work, I will be able to succeed at FIRST… and at College. Everything I have learned from John will be with me for the rest of my life.

Once again, John… You Da Man

Thanks for everything

Aaron Lussier
01 - 03: Team 151
04 - Who knows: Team 125 and others

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I just recently met John at IRI, but in such a short period of time, the conversations I had with him were definitly amazing. He is obviously involved in so many respects with FIRST, he has many things to teach others, and it’s definitly worth it to learn a few lessons from John. He definitly deserves this! :slight_smile:

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Congratulations, John. When I first heard of this idea, you were the first person I thought should be honored. You’re a great mentor, and a great person. I’m glad to know you.

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Congratulations!

Even the short time I’ve known you John you’ve been a stellar guy and always helpful! You deserved it.

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i think i can speak for most of if not all of FIRST and say WE <3 John.

John thank you for all your hard work and dedication for FIRST, you are a true example of what it means to be a first-a-holic… i personnaly couldnt think of anyone better to bestow this honor upon, other than you

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*Originally posted by Replic *
**Congratulations!

Even the short time I’ve known you John you’ve been a stellar guy and always helpful! You deserved it. **

Yeah, I have to go with Replic on this one. I met you no more than 2 weeks ago and you’ve always been helpful and hard-working, not to mention hilarious and just a generally nice guy. Keep up the good work, and congratulations.

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Hey John, you are famous! :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

John is one of my many heroes in FIRST… He is someone I could closely relate to, because not only is he a FIRST-a-holic, but he is also a college student and a mentor. It is from this similar interesting/stressful growth experience that I find things happening to him that I thought would only happen to me. Because of that, and because of the same passion for FIRST and its impact, I was able to find a friend who I can talk to about things I really care (and stressed out about). He is the top choice of people I want to hang out with at competition.

But don’t get me wrong; John and I are nothing alike. We are like the opposite ends in FIRST. I particularly love the overall picture of FIRST, and what it’s doing to the culture, and getting events working… John, on the other hand, is totally into the game and its strategy every year, running and coaching the team, and the design of robots, and the competitive side of the competition… Those are things I wish I could’ve spent more time in. He is like the part I am missing for the game.

But no need ;-). I have John to tell me all about it.

Plus he speak English (and do it really well), and I don’t ;).

I really think John truly deserve to be first UFH. He is always the one that sticks out in my mind when I think about the truly dedicated people in this competition. He don’t do it to feel special or anything… He do it for the love of the competition. It doesn’t get any better than that!

I would be proud to have John on the partner alliance in the finals, but too bad, I am running the scoring software
:D. (You better buy me that dinner soon! And I want steak and lobster!)

But anyway… At the end, I can only say… Hey John, buddy, you are famous! :smiley:

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…and now we are closing in upon achieving a core ideal of FIRST.

Funny enough, when Brandon M told me that I knew the first inductee into the UFH “Forum of fame,” I instantly thought of JVN. Its funny because I can’t explain why… I have only recently become acquainted with John and don’t really know him yet. However, based on all the stories I have heard and how they tie in with what I’ve seen thus far, I can say that V-Neun is deserving of this award. Congratulations J (number 2 :stuck_out_tongue: )!

On another note, I can already see the storm clouds forming over this idea: human nature is a chaotic yet predictable thing. But I hope that we can all see the intent behind this system of nominations and recognitions and allow ourselves the time needed for the method of execution to “grow on us.” Maybe then it will become more routine for us to look around at those mentors working tirelessly on our behalf; working to instill within us the values to be learned from the FIRST program; who are more than willing to share with us their experience and the lessons it has taught them, and give them a wholehearted thank you. Its surprising how such a thing makes their years of effort worth wile (I mean, that is why they’ve worked so hard: to help even one person, to “inspire”).

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I’ve known John for only about a year and I gladly call him my friend. He inspires me.

John has been through alot as a FIRSTer and his strong passion and desire for “the right design” is something to look up to. He is one of many talented people on the Clarkson team I have had the great opportunity to meet many of them. He has worked with some of the pillars of FIRST while also having the experience of leading a team. Now… people are starting to look up to John as one of those pillars.

John is one of many who need to be noticed. Now… keep up the good work and strive for more.

Andy B.

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Thank you all for your kind words, and thank you for this award.

I’m in the process of moving back home right now, so I will post something more substantial sometime later when I get a chance.

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John is everything FIRST is and aspires to be.
An excellent choice as Chiefdelphi’s first honoree as an unsung hero.

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I first ‘met’ John on this site and then got to meet him in person at the BAE Granite State Regional this year. Selecting a person such as John shows the maturity of those making decisions. John is an excellent example of “what FIRST is trying to be”.

If you have not met John, feel free to come to River Rage in Manchester this September and say 'HI". He will be the head ref.
Congratulations John.

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Congrats John!

I’ve only really been talking to John for a few months, and like Andy, I’m very happy to call him my friend. John has amazing ideas and truly understands what it takes to be a competitor on and off the field. I’ve seen John grow on these boards over the last few years, and he is a great choice for this honor. John continue to grow, and try to enjoy all this attention.

Steve

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I too met John a year ago, as my team leader. As a new student to both Clarkson and FIRST, I had no experience about what this was all about. Admittedly, it didn’t seem all that interesting, especially since, as a college student, I would “just”:rolleyes: be a mentor to high school students. I am happy to say John changed my views on that.

We took a lot of the same classes last year, so we sometimes reviewed material together. I remember one of the first time I studied in his room. There was (and I bet is) FIRST stuff everywhere, from medals, posters, and sketches to gearboxes and electronics! While we did get some work done, much of the time was spent entertaining me with robotic stories, movies, and pictures. We would do some problems for a few minutes, then John would tell his roommate, Eric, (or vice versa) that they had forgotten to tell me about this team or that experience. And so we would go off into FIRST discussions until we remembered we were supposed to be doing work and the cycle would repeat. (yes, we did finish the material, although the FIRST slideshow screensaver on his computer didn’t help matters any! :p) I couldn’t help but be drawn in.

Through John’s devotion to FIRST, I knew there must be something special going on that I didn’t yet see. Listening to his vast FIRST knowledge and endless amounts of stories, I was fascinated. Caught by his endless enthusiasm, I became hooked as well. Without John, 229 wouldn’t have been the same and would not have been anywhere near as enjoyable as it was. I am proud and honored to know him and to have him as my team leader. So I just wanna say thanks John, for opening my eyes to FIRST, for everything you’ve done for us, and for showing me that yes, sleepless nights can be fun :smiley: !

Congratulations John!!!