For the past 5 years, Suanne Bouvier has been a mentor of Spectrum. Mrs. Bouvier started out being just a parent of one of the team’s students but quickly became an integral mentor of Spectrum. From being the team’s lead Chairman’s mentor to organizing all social media to wishing students happy birthday, Mrs. Bouvier has always been there when we needed her.
Five years ago, Spectrum gained an influential mentor, Suanne Bouvier. Originally joining as a team parent, Mrs. Bouvier quickly became an integral part of Spectrum. From working as Spectrum’s lead Chairman’s mentor to organizing all of our social media accounts to wishing students happy birthday, Mrs. Bouvier not only guides team progression but also invigorates the spirit of the team.
As one of the primary mentors of the team, Mrs. Bouvier has always provided constant support. As a voracious group of teenagers, providing fresh food at every single meeting is a constant concern. To ensure that we can perform at our best and have the most fun, Mrs. Bouvier ensures that we are always well-fed by keeping the pantry well-stocked and helping organize fresh food to go to the lab during build weekends. In addition to helping organize food at competitions, she also volunteers her hotel room to store and distribute snacks and drinks for late-night team meetings.
Mrs. Bouvier spearheads our efforts to gain new sponsors and volunteer opportunities. This season, she has gained us a sponsorship from the Intuitive Foundation for our work in engaging students in STEM education. Mrs. Bouvier was also the driving force behind the creation of our joint summer camps with Microsoft. In 2018, Mrs. Bouvier coordinated a tour of the Memorial Hermann Robotic-Assisted Surgery Department, exposing us to fields in which we can take our knowledge and experience in FIRST.
In addition to always being a helping hand, Mrs. Bouvier has curated our social media efforts into a meaningful endeavor to spread STEM throughout our community. She manages our social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to
help us reach out to the community at large. Mrs. Bouvier also curates the team photo gallery, which contains over 90,000 photos and videos from the team. While we compete, Mrs. Bouvier documents our progress and showcases our successes on social media. However, she does more than manage just our social media efforts — Mrs. Bouvier also assists the media staff of the Indiana Robotics Invitational. From conducting interviews to taking team photos, Mrs. Bouvier also contributes to the success of some of the most prolific media programs in FRC.
An enthusiastic mentor and friend of Spectrum, Mrs. Bouvier brings an attitude of positivity to the team. Her approachable nature makes it easy for team members to reach out to her for support. Even after her son’s graduation from the team, Mrs. Bouvier’s presence continues to serve as a reliable pillar of support. Throughout the year, Mrs. Bouvier makes sure to wish team members a happy birthday on team communications to encourage team spirit and camaraderie. Students have come to know Mrs. Bouvier as a mentor that they can always look to for advice and help.
