Reflection...

The following notes are a reflection of a "TEAM" that has stuck it out. We hope you will see a flicker of what is evident to us. We do not apologize for its length.

Well, being a terminoodle means having a sense of honor and dignity. Why is this so? Well I'll tell you. Before I was on the team I used to do a lot of tricky things. For example, backtalking to the teacher, but now I hardly get in trouble. I have become a better person from being on the team. I have gotten a lot of encouragement from the team, including the engineers, the teachers and my principal. I thank them very much for that and that's what being a terminoodle means to me.
- Danny Davis (student)

I have observed kiddos, my own daughter included, blossom. I've witnessed not only the technical exposer these kids have experienced, but also a real increase in teamwork and self-esteem; they definitely have a CAN DO attitude. If this makes a difference in even one life (and it certainly has), it is worth it!!!!!!!!
- Tonia Endres (Coach and mother)

I was on the team last year so I thought I already knew what it was going to be like. I was wrong. The engineers and teachers decided we would do better if we used the kind of workgroups used in the real world, like a publicity team, a driving team and even a team figuring the cost of parts. This year was more successful in preparing me for the real world.
- Whitney Bristol (Student)

My part of the team was to design and layout the machine on a computer, using autocad. Two students from Gunter Jr. high school worked with me. One student would use the keyboard and the other would operate the mouse. They had a real challenge ahead of them. Well, six weeks later they won the BEST competition and found themselves building a new machine. The U.S. FIRST machine is more complicated than the BEST project. The students were on hand to start the project by brainstorming, layout and design, soldering wires and assembly of electrical and mechanical components. They watched their ideas come to life. Thank you for letting me be a small part of this GREAT TEAM.
- Cal Wilkerson (Coach and a large part of the GREAT TEAM.)

Now that we're going to Florida for U.S. FIRST, I'm really excited! We would go to T.I. and spend hours and hours building and improving our machine, Terminoodles Intensified. I can't wait to go to Florida! If we win that would be great, but if we don't that's O.K., because this is our first year to go. As long as everyone has fun, that's all that matters.
- Maureen Gamel (student)

Teaching creates a magical feeling in those who love it, but being a part of NT BEST and US FIRST allowed me to move from teacher to mentor and that is an experience all teachers should have. I watched students with little self-esteem become confident individuals who have plans to go to college and to succeed in a career. Gunter is a small town with limited career opportunities, but building these robots have gained us sponsorship to Florida, being presented a check from Jerry Junkins, meeting the governor of Texas, finding a support network in our engineers, and capturing the imagination of our town as only sports have in the past has lead me to believe that no goal is unreachable when business, community, teachers and students work together. I think it is an inspiring message to send across America.
- Terisa O'Dowd (teacher)

U.S. FIRST has meant so much to me. I have had hands on experiences with building a robot. I have met many great engineers along the way with build- ing the robot. It is so great accomplishing a robot that will do a specific task.
- Greg Davis (student)

As a parent of a seventh grader, NT BEST and US FIRST has exposed my son to many opportunities that he would never have been given at this time in his life. He was introduced to different technology. He had the opportunity to shake hands and to be photographed with many important people. He also had many hours of fun with driving the robot, traveling and socializing with friends. This year for Gregory has honestly been one of those "once in a lifetime experiences."
- Marilyn Davis (Mom)

Being on the Terminoodles team has helped my grades come up in all my classes and has given me a better understanding on how math helps in all things. I used to hate math and science, now they are my two favorite subjects.
- Matt Newman (student)

It is hard to add up each experience that I've gained. Finally, after being part of this project for three years, the dedication and hard work is showing through. Each year I've learned more about the interaction between students, teachers, engineers, the cooperation needed to work together and the importance of sharing progress with others. The most important thing I learned was to never give up and keep trying, for your hard work and determination will eventually pay off!
- Dana Ford (student)

As in the past, with NT BEST and Texas BEST competitions, I have really enjoyed working with the kids. The feeling that I get when I see the ideas lurking behind their eyes and knowing that we're helping to encourage and guide them is, well, indescribable. It really makes me feel good. I've personally enjoyed breaking kid's stereotype of an engineer and showing them that engineers come in many different packages!
- Casey Barber (coach)

The rewards and experiences I've gained from this project are numerous. I have learned how multimedia works, teamwork and how interaction between the students, teachers and engineers make a difference in the overall attitude of our team. After three years of hard work and dedication, it is finally all paying off. This year is our year. Everybody else has had their chance but now it's us and everybody in Florida better be ready.
- Liz Jang (student)

What I have enjoyed most about working on NT BEST/Texas BEST/US FIRST is seeing kids getting really excited about something relating to engineering. Not just the kids working on the project, but the whole school (actually the whole community). It nearly floored me after the Texas BEST competition when one of the cheerleaders said it was more fun to cheer at a BEST comp. than a football game. I think it has made a lot of kids think more positively about engineering as a profession and convinced a few of them that they want to be engineers.
- Desiree Swain (coach)

Three year ago I sat in the cafeteria of T.I. as PVC Insanity was intro- duced. From that morning on my perspective of engineers, attitude towards life and career goals have changed. My ideas of sterile lab coats, locked up Einsteins turned into perceptions of real life people like me. I've tried to mimic Joe Ayers confidence in others, Cal Wilkerson's jolly atmosphere, Billy Dollarhide's wisdom, Tim and Tom's work ethic, Randy Clark's understanding of others and Desiree's fool proof strategies. By doing this I am more comfortable with myself and my capabilities of being an engineer.
- Justin Gamel (student)

This year's experience with BEST and US FIRST has certainly been a once in a lifetime experience for all us Terminoodles. The competitions have been exhilarating, but all the little side experiences have been the most rewarding. one student has heard enough positive comments from our enginners about how smart she is and how hard she worked, so that she believes it herself now. Team members have learned skills and ideas that we could not have discovered from any class. Our team has gotten to meet important people and go to new places that they never would have gotten to otherwise. We have learned what real teamwork and really hard work are and we have learned to respect one another for the different talents each has. With T.I.'s help we have reached for the stars, and now we are soaring among them. Thank you.
- Leah Martindale (teacher)

The most gratifying experience for me was to see the impact we had on the lives of many of these young people. some of them were able to experience things that they may never again experience. I sincerely believe that we changed the direction of some of their lives to become productive, happy people. We saw grades improve dramatically. We saw enthusiasm instilled. We saw boys and girls who have a "Fire In the Gut", they didn't want to quit working. They have a higher purpose than "hanging out". What we have done is to start something which will be impossible to stop. They will expect us to continue next year. The younger ones will want to join. How can we possibly stop now? What a disappointment that would be.
- Joe Ayers (coach)

It is difficult to adequately express how I feel about the BEST program in such a short space. Winning the BEST trophy at NT BEST for the third year in a row was great. But, we (the team) won the competition too! WOW!!! Coming away with both trophies again at Texas BEST was the boost we needed to put us in low orbit. Now we are headed for US FIRST. Final burn is scheduled for late next week. With the right attitude, we have a chance to reach escape velocity - then we're headed for the stars, of course there is always the chance of a fiery re-entry too. It is not often a group of people get together and everyone is pulling on the rope in the same direction at the same time. It's even more rare to maintain that for an extended period of time. This is the third year the core of our team (including students) have worked together. Everything just seemed to fall into place this year and, as we gained momentum, we became unstoppable. Every individual on the team has made a positive contribution to our success. Every individual on the team has shared in the rewards and those have been many. For most of the students (some of the coaches to) this will be a high point in their life. For some, this has given them the confidence to attempt tasks they would otherwise have written off as to difficult. For a few, this has lit a fire that will burn the rest of their lives and they will become tomorrow's scientist and engineers. In my past experience as a student, teacher, and now a TIer, I haven't had a class, or been to a work shop, or seen a program, or been associated with an activity that had such a profound positive effect on so many people's lives in such a short span of time as the Best program has. I am grateful to have been allowed to be a small part of that.
- Bill Dollarhide (coach)

I was asked today what I had "gleaned" from my experience as a Terminoodle sponsor. After the last couple of weeks of late nights at T.I., my first thoughts were lack of sleep, a cluttered house and no clean clothes. Then I thought back a little further and I remembered so much more. This year has meant not only learning the miracles of Lexan, aluminum, CRS, etc., but also the miracles of changed lives. I have seen students who were struggling, suddenly inspired to work to their greatest potential. I have seen students whose lives rarely took them outside the Gunter city limits travel to new and exciting places, meet the Governor, a college president, and top engineers in the country. I have seen a little farming community, who previously only was excited about ball games, suddenly caught up in the thrill of science and engineering. Yes, we may have lost a little sleep, but we have gained so much more!
- Debbie Murphy (Terminoodle sponsor)