IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
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IPC COMMUNITY 48 FALL 2023 FIRST Robotics closely parallels how indus- try projects are run: Students need to manage fundraising, budget, succession planning, and community engagement. It is critical that veteran students contribute to mentor- ing novice students in their roles. FTC was divided into rookie and veteran teams, and both teams were invited to state competitions with the veteran team, earning an invite to the world competition. The high school FRC team earned recognition at every competi- tion, including an Engineering Inspiration Award at the world competition. I have always thought of mentoring as a way for an expert to teach others. I have come to realize that mentoring is more of a two-way interaction. As a proud par- ent, I watched both my children grow by working with the younger students. As the teams grew, we saw more diversity among the team members, and Fabricators has become a leader in embracing neurodiversity. For the 2022-23 season, the team initiated a program called Autism Understanding Through Out- reach (AUTO). AUTO is a multi-generational project led by the students. My daughter and a few other students led this project through its initial In the corporate world, it is common to hear of some- one wearing many "hats." This usually refers to a person whose job enrichment has them doing a broad range of jobs. While I fit that, I would much prefer considering myself as having many nicknames rather than hats, because those tend to be given out by others; nicknames are earned by being energetic, passionate, and contributing, Most of all, it's giving your whole self to a team. Many nicknames are straightforward, modified versions or abbreviations of my name, such as "B" and "Bri." In some of the IPC committees, I get referred to as "the Dow Guy" or "the Silicones Guy." When I was on sports team as a youth, I earned nicknames like "Beezer," "Chess," "Coxswain," and even "Coach." I wear all these nicknames as a badge of honor, and I look forward to earning more. So, it's not surprising that while mentoring a FIRST robotics team, I've earned my share of nicknames. These names are given with affection because of the impact I'm having on these students. The nickname the Fabricator students coined for me has stood since 2019. Want to know what it is? You'll have to attend a FIRST event with us to learn it because I guarantee that the students will energetically share. I'm a Man With Many Nicknames