In an effort to recognize the leadership and dedication of the most outstanding secondary school students in FIRST, the Dean Kamen family sponsors awards for selected 10th or 11th grade students known as the FIRST Robotics Competition FIRST Dean’s List Award. (Dean Kamen is the founder of FIRST.) Each FIRST Robotics team may nominate up to two students as FIRST Dean’s List Semi-Finalists by submitting a series of essays on their behalf.

Whitewater High School’s FIRST Robotics Team Ferradermis is proud to nominate juniors Jazmin Cederberg and Daniel (Peter) Portwine as their Dean’s List representatives for 2022. Jazmin and Peter will interview with a pair of judges while the team is at the Wisconsin Regional in Milwaukee from March 23 – 26 for the opportunity to be named Finalists. Finalists will move on to compete to become one of ten Dean’s List Winners at the FIRST Championships in Houston.

Jazmin and Peter are great examples of student leaders who have led their teams and communities to increased awareness for FIRST and its mission while achieving personal technical expertise and accomplishment. Criteria for selection of the FIRST Dean’s List Award shall include, but not be limited to a student’s demonstrated leadership and commitment to the FIRST Core Values, effectiveness at increasing awareness of FIRST in the school and community, interest in and passion for a long-term commitment to FIRST, overall individual contribution to their team, technical expertise and passion, entrepreneurship and creativity, and ability to motivate and lead fellow team members.

Below are excerpts from the essays submitted by the mentors on behalf of both students:

Jazmin possesses a rare blend of artistic and technical skill; she is just as happy working on graphics as she is programming. Jazmin always wanted to be a programmer, and she launched into that role without ever having used Java before. Now, as an AP Computer Science student, Jazmin is well-versed in Java and says she really feels like she understands everything that is going on this year for the first time. She truly grew into her role as programming lead, and now she is patiently helping others blossom. As a veteran, she carries valuable programming and troubleshooting knowledge and can apply that knowledge to new situations. Shy, quiet Jazmin is now a member of the drive team, starting out as human player during the 2021 off-season in preparation for taking on a larger role in 2022. Jazmin will not be the person in front of the room demanding everyone’s attention; she will be the person who just comes in and goes to work, leading by example. The other members of Jazmin’s subteam are just as quiet, but the three have bonded. At a recent meeting, they stood together at the board for hours discussing autonomous programming routines; they were focused and dead serious about their plans, and also having a lot of fun. Jazmin sets the tone. Our team has been experimenting with Romi robots, and Jazmin has led the charge. It has been fun watching her tape out fields on the floor and challenge her team members to traverse them with their Romi. Jazmin does all of this without direction; she knows what needs to be done, and she guides her team through the process.

When told of his Dean’s List nomination, Peter responded, “I was just having fun, and then this happened.” That sums up Peter’s approach to everything. He doesn’t do things for recognition, he does things because they challenge him, because they are fun, or simply because they need to be done. Peter’s designated role on the team is to be part of Competition Logistics, but he spends time with any sub-team that needs help, working on administrative tasks, helping build the field elements, or helping assemble the robot. Recently, we gifted new Spike Prime kits to two of our elementary FLL teams, and it was fun to watch the kids’ reaction to seeing Peter’s name on the card; he has certainly made an impact on those students through his outreach efforts. Peter has never taken a computer science course, but he is a quick learner. In preparation for volunteering with our elementary school FLL teams, he sat down one night at a meeting with an EV3 for the first time. Never having used an EV3, he built a multi-functional bot and wrote and tested an elaborate program. No mentors assisted him; he just made it happen. This is very similar to Peter’s approach to learning to use the CNC Router to manufacture the hub for the practice field. He had never used a CNC router; he had never used the VCarve software. A mentor spent a few minutes with him giving him an overview, and then he ran with it. He is now our resident expert on the machine. Peter is definitely not intimidated by new experiences. Peter is learning how to help others understand what comes naturally to him, and it is a beautiful thing to see.

Article Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor and Banner Volunteer
lmasbruch@wwusd.org