JAY — Spruce Mountain Area Robotics Team 3930 was unable to compete at the Pine Tree Event this year after all FIRST Robotics Competition events were canceled due to the coronavirus. Advisor Daniel Lemieux announced Saturday, April 4, that Drew Delaney had been named a semi-finalist for the Dean’s List award at that competition.

Lemieux posted the news he had received on the team’s Facebook page. The notification read, “On behalf of the New England FIRST® Pine Tree FRC District Event Dean’s List Award judging panel, we’d like to thank all of the Dean’s List Award nominees for sharing their time and accomplishments with us. Being recognized as a team’s outstanding student role model is a tremendous achievement and honor. FIRST and NE FIRST greatly appreciate the dedication and leadership exemplified by all Dean’s List Award nominees. It is with great pleasure that we announce the New England FIRST Robotics Competition Dean’s List District Championship Semi-finalists…Rohan Sreenivasan, FRC 166 (Merrimack, New Hampshire) and Drew Delaney, FRC 3930 (Jay, Maine).”

Delaney, from Livermore, is the son of Rick and Sarah Delaney and a junior at Spruce Mountain High School. He is a member of the local Leo’s Club, a younger affiliate of Lions Clubs International.

An honor roll student, Delaney plays golf and tennis and is part of the bowling club. He is a member of the school’s math team, Envirothon program, band, student council and National Honor Society. A performer in the Rock of Ages program, he also is part of the band, The Only Hope, that has performed at Livermore Falls History Night, Apple Pumpkin Festival and elsewhere.

Lemieux said, “You will find him playing and singing at various venues throughout Maine in the spring and summer. It’s nice to see a student pursuing his passion he truly loves.”

Delaney said he got involved with SMART through his sisters.

“Both of my sisters were members,” he said. “I went to their competitions, was part of the LEGO League program in middle school.

“I wanted to do hands-on building, engineering stuff.”

Lemieux said, “Drew is the youngest member of this family, but he exhibits no stereotypical youngest child traits. I met Drew when he was a sixth grader. His sisters went on to graduate, go on to college and he became his own individual member of the SMART FRC robotics team.

“His dad works in the paper industry, Drew understands the skills needed for his future employment. In high school, he joined the FRC team and undertook an aggressive academic schedule, including Advanced Placement classes, with an eye to an engineering career.

“Drew is our build-team captain. He has taken computer-aided design, metalworking, and woodworking technology classes to expand his hands-on skills. He runs our pit area like a NASCAR pit stop. The robot comes in, gets prepped for the next match, and Drew moves on to speaking to judges or helping other teams. From time to time he has stepped up to help with the drive team.”

Delaney said he most enjoys being able to work with his team, solve a problem and compete together at the end of the year.

“The teamwork, coming up with a final result, seeing it work. Sadly, we weren’t able to do that this year,” he said.

Lemieux said, “Drew is always available to help during our various community events. He is the first to get into our SMART mascot and to catch Frisbees from our robot. This year he and his band played at the annual Apple Pumpkin Festival dressed in our 3930 SMART T-shirts. His passion for robotics, music and participation in school activities shows through everything he does.”

Lemieux said Delaney mentored the five Spruce Mountain Middle School FIRST LEGO League teams.

“While in middle school Drew participated in FLL and has first hand experience that is very helpful to the FLL teams,” he said. “During the last three years, Drew has helped to set up, organize, and run the annual Lego League Qualifier tournament. We need nearly 80 community volunteers to help stage the event, and Drew’s help recruiting community members was noteworthy. Some of the people he recruited not only helped with the qualifier, but went on to volunteer at the State Championship event as well. He did well as a table-setter and a judge, and was a tireless worker on the many tasks that it takes to run the Lego League tournaments.

“During the last seven seasons, SMART Robotics has taken on a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program for all fourth-graders in the district. It introduces them to the high school’s FIRST Robotics program and teaches them to measure while building a small key rack. In doing this project, Drew’s one-on-one approach with students and his natural teaching abilities shine through.”

Criteria for selection of the FIRST® Robotics Competition FIRST® Dean’s List Award includes, 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
• Ability to motivate and lead fellow team members

The Dean’s List award judges noted, “All District Championship semi-finalists will be re-interviewed and six students will be chosen as the New England FIRST Robotics Competition Dean’s List finalists. These students will then be considered to become one of the 10 Dean’s List Winners for the 2020 Season.”

“Drew’s gentle nature, work ethics, and accepting personality have led him to be an outstanding candidate for the Dean’s List,” Lemieux said.

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