2010 Woodie Flowers Submission

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy inspired a nation by asking for an emphasized appreciation and use of science, technology, and engineering. Since 2006, Team 1987 mentor Tom Hand has been fulfilling that same role, asking not what FIRST can do for him but what he can do for FIRST. Tom is truly an out-of-this-world mentor.

No other person so clearly defines the ideal FIRST mentor. Tom Hand has unceasingly given more than anyone else in the community to the FIRST Program. As a senior engineer at Honeywell's Kansas City FM&T plant, he has mentored The Broncobots since the team's inception. During his first year, Tom helped develop a strong team with roots planted firmly in the overall goals of FIRST. Within the first build season, it was clear to each and every student that Tom Hand would do anything and everything to help promote science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). For the past fifteen years, Tom has participated in STEM activities, including building rockets annually with elementary students, judging science fairs, and performing experiments in elementary and junior high classrooms.

Every team meeting, every team presentation, and every team build session, Tom is always first to arrive and last to leave. In four years of over one hundred activities, he has never missed a team event of any kind. During build season following each of his nine-hour workdays, Tom mentors for three hours with Team 2894 and then mentors for another three to five with Team 1987. Needless to say, Tom misses dinner with his wife six days a week and rarely gets more than five hours of sleep per night. Despite all of this, he has never complained and eagerly approaches each new day.

His mantra, as our entire team knows, is "If the kids want to do it, that's what we'll do." He is a vocal supporter of a united team-designed, team-built robot, and he truly knows what his role is as a mentor. He approaches every task asking us specifically what we want to accomplish. Not only does he educate and supervise, most importantly he listens. No comment or question ever goes unheard. While he has taught us technical skills in building and designing, we have learned and frequently put into practice presentation, leadership, and problem-solving skills. He has taught us to work as a team, one functioning group made up of different, important elements. He makes it a point to show that each student is appreciated for every task. His support for every member has been unwavering for four seasons.

More than anything, Tom operates on a year-round FIRST-driven agenda. He was instrumental in helping Team 2894 raise their mentor number from one full-time mentor in 2009 to seven in 2010. As co-leader of Honeywell's Kansas City FIRST group, Tom has recruited more support for the program than any other. Tom has put his entire heart and soul into FIRST. He was a leading force behind the addition of 60 new mentors placed with 25 area teams as well as the addition of 25 and counting volunteers plus $24,000 for the KC regional, in addition to his own four-year volunteering at the KC Regional.

Tom has not only been a team mentor, but he has been FIRST's biggest proponent for the past four years. He radiates optimism and exudes graciousness in everything that he does. Never once has he asked for a break, and he has been running full-steam for the past four seasons. Tom Hand's enthusiasm is palpable, and withhis support, we know that, like President Kennedy's dreams, we can touch the stars.