FIRST Tech Challenge � Dean�s List Award

The FTC season is well underway. Scrimmages, Meets, and Qualifier events have officially started, and in some places the State Championship is coming up within the next couple of months.

But did you know that there is still time to apply for the Dean�s List Award?

Laura Irvine, a 2015 FIRSTTech Challenge Winner has this to say to any Mentor or Coach that has been thinking about nominating their students for the Dean�s List Award. �Apply! Apply! Apply! Don�t be afraid because you think other people do more than you, because it�s not really about that, it�s about how you make the most out of FIRST for yourself and the people around you. Plus the entire experience was a ton of fun, and I met lots of amazing and inspiring people along the way.�

This past July, the ten  FIRSTTech Challenge and ten  FIRST Robotics Competition 2015 Dean�s List Award Winners were flown to Manchester as part of winning the Dean� s List Award. For FIRST Tech Challenge, this was a celebration of the first ever FIRSTTech Challenge Dean�s List Winners. Not only did all of the students get to tour MIT, DEKA, and FIRSTHeadquarters, they were also invited to Dean Kamen�s house for the Suppliers Summit and dinner. Their trip ended with a special celebratory dinner with all 20 winners, and of course, Dean Kamen.

When asked what her favorite part was about the experience, Serena Grown Haeberli, one of the ten FTC Dean�s List Award winners of 2015 said, �Meeting and connecting with students as deeply as embedded in FIRST as I am.  I�m still in touch with many of them, asking for advice, etc. There was absolutely no division between the FTC students and the FRC students, which made the connections there more valuable. Getting the chance to build a �Robot in ONE night� with all of the Dean�s List winners was a great bonding experience.�

The Dean�s List of course isn�t just all about winning. It�s about recognizing and celebrating those students who embrace all aspects of FIRST programs, as they are the future leaders and ambassadors of FIRST programs. These students know how important FIRST and STEM education are in their communities, and will see to it that students can access the many benefits of these programs for years to come!

What does this all mean to you? We�re sure you have an inspirational 10^th or 11^th grade student on your team, make sure to nominate them today!

For more information, please visit our FIRST Tech Challenge Dean�s List page.To find out how to nominate a student on your team, click here!