Triple Helix students are proud to publish this Woodie Flowers Award nominating essay for our mentor Todd Ferrante.

Todd Ferrante has been a dedicated mentor to our team since 2011. As a systems integration engineer at NASA Langley, he is beyond well-equipped to teach and inspire a love of engineering in students. Through his abilities to motivate, communicate, and problem solve, his patience with students and mentors, and his willingness to lead, he has developed our team culture into one of universal respect, professionalism, and unending support.

Mr. Ferrante is a master of motivation. “He encourages everyone to give their own ideas and opinions. If you ask him how something will be done, instead of telling you, he asks you how you think it should be done,” says Justin. “He always makes sure we know what we’re doing. At competitions, he calmly talks to us about what he thinks may be wrong. If someone messes up, he will help them find a solution calmly. He never blames anyone for anything,” says Aaron. Any question asked is answered to the best of his ability and given his full attention. “He values the opinions of everyone and never dismisses any idea or question,” says Adam.

Mr. Ferrante’s ability to communicate has led him to become the drive team coach, in addition to his role as a mechanical subteam mentor. “He’s always super proud of every match, even if we perform poorly. He’s very nice about correcting our mistakes, and when we all get really tired he keeps us focused,” says Rachel. “ Even if we lose a match, he’s always at the sidelines, cheering us on, and is happy at what we accomplished,” says Gabe.

Mr. Ferrante is dedicated to creating an encouraging and healthy team environment. “He can correct you with a kind word, and encourage you to do better, even when you are giving it your all. Mr. Ferrante has, in all probability, corrected me hundreds of times. But I always welcomed it, and needed it, because he showed me how to be better through positive reinforcement. He was the perfect leader for a drive team, because he could keep a level head to give us coherent feedback, and also figured out how to convey that feedback in a positive way,” says alumnus Aaron. “He’s always very happy when he’s at meetings. He consistently does his best to create a positive environment for all of the students and welcomes everyone with open arms. He pushes us to do everything we can and make the most out of every situation. He never backs down from a challenge and brings his A-Game to any situation he’s thrown into,” says Adam.

One essay will never be enough room for us to express our gratitude for all of the heart and soul Mr. Ferrante has poured into our team. His constant dedication and enthusiasm for Triple Helix and FIRST have gone beyond the scope of mentorship. He’s become a role model and inspiration to everyone he’s worked with, and has changed our team from a group of nerds to a family. As each year produces more graduates, our family grows, and with it our awareness of how lucky we are to work with such an exceptional mentor as Todd Ferrante.