2015 Woodie Flowers Nomination Mrs. Telva McGruder

Although her time with FRC team 245 has been short, Telva McGruder influences and inspires not only a whole generation of young STEM enthusiasts, but other mentors as well.

Without Mrs. McGruder and her optimism, our team would lack well-rounded life capabilities enhanced by FIRST such as leadership and self-confidence.

Famous playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, “What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.” Mrs. McGruder cannot embody this quote more. Not only does she teach students how to operate a drill press and fabricate a four bar linkage, she also teaches us the power of knowledge. Any problem, big or small, a student might encounter, Mrs. McGruder is there to help. Another quality she offers to the team is a trait other adults often lack: being consistently optimistic. Regarding Mrs. McGruder’s perpetual positivity, Junior Kathryn Cesiel says, “She really wants to hear what us students have to say. I appreciate her asking about my day each time I come into robotics because it makes me feel welcomed.” Whether it is week one, week six, or a day before competition, Mrs. McGruder will be standing by the door eagerly waiting to greet anyone who passes through. Sophomore Ashley Del Rose recognizes, “She gets so much joy out of working with us and her happiness radiates off of her. She has a unique ability to connect with students, while simultaneously teaching us life lessons.”

As an African-American woman in engineering, Mrs. McGruder has overcome a number of obstacles. Multiple professors would tell her “she could not complete a degree in engineering” or say, given where she was from, it was not unusual for her to be struggling with certain concepts. She tells us of the hardships she faced and it inspires us, especially the girls on the team, to always believe in ourselves. Overall, Mrs. McGruder continues to motivate us to overcome any obstacle we face and prove to the people who say “we are incapable,” are wrong.

When asked why she is a FIRST mentor, Telva McGruder responded with, “It is important to me that I help students understand their value in the world, and that, regardless of who they are or how they ‘tick’, they bring their personal worth to every situation.” Along with her other numerous qualities, her passion for helping uncertain teenagers realize their self-worth is one we students respect the most. In today’s society, the pressure on young adults to succeed and discover who they are, all while enduring a rigorous education, is immensely high. It is rare to meet  people like Telva McGruder who help us believe in our own self-worth and push us to always challenge ourselves. Regardless of how bad our day was, it is comforting to know Mrs. McGruder will be in the build room, with her usually euphoria, welcoming us to our second family.