What do you do on the team? For what sub-teams do you mentor?
I’m actually the head team mentor. I’m the one that is actually the connection to the school. That’s actually where Stoney Creek has a problem because they don’t have a head mentor so they can’t get a team together. They don’t have anyone who wants to do it. As far as sub-teams, normally I’m in charge of the chassis. That’s just something I’ve done over the years. Keeping it consistent and durable, that’s the main thing. I’m also in charge of securing all the supplies and anything we get as far as materials goes. I’m in charge of the credit card, so to speak. It’s under my name, so I have to make sure it balances at the end of every month, which is always interesting, just trying to find all the receipts. So I take care of that kind of stuff, management as well.

How long have you been a mentor for the AdamBots?
This is going to be my 17th year for FIRST. I did 6 years with Rochester, so this will be my 11th [with the AdamBots].

So you’ve mentored both Adams’ and Rochester’s teams?
Yeah, I started Rochester’s team, originally in 1998.

What is your favorite thing about being a part of the AdamBots?
It’s just letting kids work with their hands a little bit. I feel it’s where they can actually apply some of the stuff they learn in Physics class and Math class and actually use it in the real world. I realized that the first year, when we were calculating the length of a diagonal brace based off of the Pythagorean theorem. And they go, “Wow this actually works,” and I’m going “Yeah, it does work”. So it’s kind of interesting when they can actually make the connection. That’s the best part.

Where did you work? What kinds of things do you do on a daily basis?
Currently, I’m retired and I just do this [mentoring] every day after school. I used to be the CAD instructor here [Rochester Adams High School] for 6 to 8 years or something like that. And I did auto mechanics for 25 years before that. But now I just get to sleep in a little bit, go out to lunch, then come here.

Why did you choose to become a mentor?
Basically, they kind of hooked me into it. The science teachers originally were the ones trying to start the team at Rochester, but they didn’t know how to build anything, so they needed someone who could actually build something. So they asked me to join, and I’m really glad they did because it’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done.

Where did you go to school? What did you study?
I got my bachelor’s from Michigan State in Industrial Arts, which is like metal shop and wood shop, and I specialized in auto shop. Then I got a vocational degree from Western Michigan University, and just vocational education is all it’s referred to as. So, that’s just like job training stuff.

Do/did you have and children on the team? If so, when?
Nope, no kids.

So then you got involved because you were the CAD teacher and know how to build?

Well, I was the auto shop teacher as well. We had a shop, the auto shop, so we had a place to build. And Rochester is still using what’s left of the auto shop. So basically because there was a shop and I knew how to build stuff.

Written by Nina Janies

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