Allen Gregory IV, FIRST alum and mentor for Spectrum 3847, lives to change the world every day. Boundless enthusiasm, compassion, and resourcefulness are just a few of the many qualities he brings to the lab and the FIRST community. For the past 16 years, Allen has provided an invaluable font of expertise to all teams he has worked with the FIRST community, tirelessly collaborating and communicating with teams around the world. His work both on and off the field perfectly exemplifies FIRST’s values to us. Allen does not just teach robotics—he is dedicated to instilling life skills, work ethic, and curiosity in all his students. 

 

As one of the most dedicated mentors in FRC, Allen is constantly active in the community through Chief Delphi, social media, and the Spectrum daily build blog. Allen is always eager to help inexperienced teams and provide advice on running an FRC team. He curates a series of online resources to assist new teams and is in constant contact with the many teams Spectrum helps. 

 

Allen is an integral volunteer in the FIRST Community, often acting as Lead Robot Inspector at competitions and recently helped lead the inspection crew at FIRST Global. Andrew Harnett of FRC #5414 says that “Allen is consistently a mentor that I look to for guidance, and it's easy to find because he’s always sharing tips, tricks and asking for feedback. He embraces coopertition and is quick to respond to requests of help of any kind. He impacts a much larger footprint than his own team.”

 

A relentless proponent of STEM advocacy and communication, Allen inspires and educates us on the value of public speaking. From demos to TV interviews, Allen coaches us to leave our comfort zones and share our passion for robotics. We learn how to speak effectively with professionals, interested parents, young children, and our fellow FRC students and mentors, giving us the interpersonal skills we need to succeed. 

 

As our team mentor, Allen is always ready to listen to ideas, providing counsel and guidance on everything from design issues to personal problems. Every team member is comfortable sharing ideas due to Allen’s dedication to including everyone. Allen inspires us to challenge limits, love learning, and always possess a strong work ethic. We never just learn engineering concepts—with Allen, we learn entirely new ways of thinking for us to carry into our futures.

 

Allen fully represents what it means to be an FRC mentor—not just for our team, but for everyone in FRC and robotics. Allen has the impeccable ability to bring out the best in all his students, pushing out limits and making us realize we can do things we never thought we would be capable of. Allen dedicates himself to the idea that the world can be changed through the lasting, positive influence of FIRST Robotics and engineering. Through his tireless effort to educate and guide Spectrum 3847, Allen has left his mark on the FIRST community.