Monday, October 20, 2014

Shelly Gaydos - This Is How I Work

Shelly Gaydos is a mentor who is very dedicated to her team and spreading the word of FIRST. Gaydos is geared towards bringing new ideas and projects to get kids more interested about engineering. She began an FRC team at the high school where she teaches and has been involved with FIRST ever since. She has even started robotics classes at her high school to get kids more interested in robotics and prepare them for the FIRST season. She’s also lead her team to win the Chairman’s Award during the 2013 and 2014 season.
[Responses from August 5, 2013; updated on October 6, 2014]

Name: Shelly Gaydos
CD Username: N/A
Current Gig/Job: Pre-Engineering Teacher, Hammond High Magnet School
Alma Mater/Degree: Southeastern Louisiana University BS Math Education ME Secondary Principalship
Current Team(s): Torbotics Team 2080
Former Team(s): N/A
Location: Hammond High Magnet School, Hammond, Louisiana
Hobbies: Robotics, Swim Team, Football




What inspired you to do what you do? Tell us a story.

I had been teaching math and physics for 21 years and was looking for new and exciting activities to bring into the classroom. When our principal showed me the FIRST Robotics information, I had no idea how it was going to change my life and the lives of so many others. I started by walking down the hall and telling some of my students to stay after school for a meeting. We did not know what we were doing, but thankfully there were FRC mentors just a phone call away. We finished (survived) our first season, and I was finally able to sit down and reflect over the chaotic rookie season that had just come to a close. I realized that FIRST Robotics was the solution that I had been searching for all of these years. I am inspired by each of these students as I see how they can accomplish things that they never thought that they were capable of doing. These moments can be anything from a student picking up a hammer for the first time to the excited screams at midnight when we shoot a basketball. My inspiration is the sound of lives changing one moment at a time.

What is your day job, and how’d you get there?

I am a teacher at Hammond High Magnet School. After our first two seasons with FIRST Robotics, I started a robotics class. The program has now expanded, and our students have the opportunity to take Engineering Classes starting with Intro to Engineering, progressing to Engineering Design I and Engineering Design II and finishing with Robotics.


What is your favorite story to tell about robotics?

I could write a book about my favorite robotics stories. Anyone who is involved in FIRST Robotics can tell you that it is always an adventure. My favorite story begins two years ago at the 2012 Bayou Regional. Everything was going great, and team 2080 was in the top twenty going into the selection process on Saturday. However, for the first time since our Rookie year, we were not chosen to play in the Championship Tournament that afternoon. We were devastated and shocked. I went with the drive team to return the robot to the pits, and I prepared myself to go help my students deal with the disappointment. When I came around the corner and looked in the stands, I found my students all on their feet cheering for all of the other teams who did get to compete that day. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to work with these teenagers each day! The story does not stop there. Instead of anger and bitterness, these students came home with a new passion to become a better team. They began to brainstorm on the way home that day. I am so proud to say that their passion paid off at the Razorback Regional 2013 and the Bayou Regional 2014 where Team 2080 won the Chairman’s Award both times. These students truly understand what FIRST Robotics is all about!


What's your favorite robot that you didn't help build?

My favorite robot was the Logomotion robot built by Team 456.

What's your workspace setup like? (Work/Robotics/Home)

We were fortunate enough to be able to renovate the wood shop in our school to our Engineering Lab. It has machines capable of working with wood and metal. We are able to build our robot completely in our own shop.



What do you listen to while you work?

Country music makes me happy, happy, and happy!

What’s your schedule like during build season?

We work 6 days a week. We do not work on Sundays to allow the students to go to church and be with their families.

What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else?

I guess it would be time management. I have a weird way of being able to predict exactly how long it will take us to complete a task.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

Don’t try to do it all!

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

DIET COKE!

Fill in the blank. I'd love to see     Maureen Politz     answer these same questions.

I was the Woodie Flowers Award winner for the Bayou Regional 2014.


“Education is not the learning of the facts, but the training of the mind to think.” - Albert Einstein

Monday, October 6, 2014

Glenn Lee - This Is How I Work

This week we are featuring a revered mentor who’s been with his team since their inception, Glenn Lee. He’s led his team to become a Hall of Fame team, IRI champions, and winners of many regional competitions. There isn't an FRC team out there who doesn't recognize the Hawaiian Kids in their signature flower patterned shirts. He helps the robotics community, by holding grant writing workshops to help teams fund their programs. He also raises thousands of dollars for his team every year, so that his team can travel to regionals. Recently, he had an appearance on Behind the Lines, which is a new show from the makers of GameSense and FIRST.

[Responses from Aug 13, 2014]

Name: Glenn S. Lee       
CD Username: waialua359 (formerly a student’s account which I took over during the 2005 season).
Current Gig/Job: Waialua High & Intermediate School STEM Learning Center Coordinator, Career-Technical Education (CTE) Coordinator, Robotics and Design Technology Instructor.
Alma Mater/Degree: Leilehua High School, University of Hawaii @ Manoa B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Minor in Math, Master’s in Business Administration.
Current Team(s): Team 359-The Hawaiian Kids since inception in 1999.
Former Team(s): N/A
Location: Waialua, HI
Hobbies: Hiking, Bike Riding, Golf, Collecting Memorabilia, Traveling, Fantasy Sports, Old School Toyota Cruises and Family Time.


What inspired you to do what you do? Tell us a story.

Team 254 just finished their rookie season in 1999. Mark Leon, a member of the Cheesy Poofs with NASA Ames, had ties with Art Kimura, a STEM leader in Hawaii. Mark and Art arranged for members of the Poofs from Broadway HS to come and showcase their robot and explain what FIRST was all about. Jason Morella of the REC Foundation, was the lead teacher of the Poofs at the time. From my understanding, they approached both us and Team 368 because of our involvement and successes with racing Electric Vehicles since 1996. I can still recollect my first impression of what I saw when I stepped into the library where the demo took place. I was totally amazed, excited, and reluctant all at the same time. I never could have imagined that over 15+ years later, I am still heavily involved.

What is your day job, and how’d you get there?

I worked briefly as an intern Electrical Engineer at Hawaiian Electric Company and the State of Hawaii as a Quality Control Engineer. I quit both jobs to pursue a career in Education as a Science/Math teacher at Waialua High & Intermediate School in 1994.

What is your favorite story to tell about robotics?

2010 was one of the worst build seasons our team ever had. Our robot didn’t work very well when it was time to pack and ship our robot to our Week 1 Event. After shipping our robot, it gave us very little time to prepare for both a Week 1: San Diego and Week 2: Arizona events in the Mainland. When we arrived in San Diego, one of our students realized he forgot the driver station laptop at home in Hawaii! Luckily we were able to get it as a check in luggage the next day because we knew someone from Hawaiian Airlines. Of all the FRC events we ever attended, this was the only event where we didn’t get inspected on the practice day because our robot had too many issues and because we had to pick up our driver station at the airport that day.
Ironically, we went on to have the best season ever winning 3 FRC regional events and IRI that year. Our robot during the entire season still could not kick a soccer ball nor could it climb a pole for the end game points consistently. Better to be lucky sometimes than good!

What's your favorite robot that you didn't help build?

Definitely Poi Pounder XV this 2014 Season. Our new equipment, a Flow Waterjet, did most of the work. J It was easily the least amount of construction our team had to ever do during build season.
What apps/software/tools can't you live without? (Work/Robotics/Home) IPhone and IPad.
What's your workspace setup like? (Work/Robotics/Home) *see pics.

What's your workspace setup like? (Work/Robotics/Home)







What do you listen to while you work?

I’m a total 80’s music fan listening to both Soft Pop and Hard Rock during that era.
What’s your schedule like during build season? I used to spend the most hours at school during build season 7 days a week, till almost midnight. With a family now and our program with much better facilities, equipment and mentor support, we normally work no later than 8-9pm on most days with a few Sundays off.

What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else?

I enjoy Grant Writing and raising money for our Robotics Program. Over the years, I’ve spent countless hours learning how to best utilize our limited resources in acquiring more of it, so that our students have ample opportunities to experience STEM via Robotics Competitions.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

Life is short. Live each day like it’s your last. **Words I’ve lived by for sure.**

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Spending money on useless things. I’m a sucker for items on Craigslist, Ebay and Amazon.

Fill in the blank. I'd love to see    Paul Copioli     answer these same questions.

Anything else you want people to know about you?

I’ve worked part-time at the Honolulu Country Club as a Banquet Waiter the past 25 years.

“Everything in life should be parallel and perpendicular” –Unknown