An Introduction to Toni
“We got this.” Three simple yet powerful words always repeated by Toni Knorr, the fundraising mentor for FRC Team 2502. Her ability to foster confidence, empower students, bolster team morale, and manage logistics has had a lasting impact on the team. Through her passionate and inclusive leadership, Toni has not only shaped our intrateam relationships but also the way we think, collaborate, and approach challenges both on and off the field.
Toni encourages ownership of jobs and independence. She asks thoughtful questions that challenge us to think critically and take responsibility for our work. Her favorite thing to do is ask IF questions to push us to be more deliberate in our actions and in how we create our own solutions. “IF this happened, then what? How would we respond?”
At our biggest fundraising event, our first-time student lead dedicated countless hours organizing, contacting companies, and gathering donations. However, on the day-of, there was a huge delay, causing her to doubt all the work she put in. Toni sat down with her, reassuring her that even if things go wrong, life moves on. Even with the best planning, things can go wrong and Toni makes sure we don’t take it personally.
Toni’s Strengths
Two of Toni’s greatest strengths are her clear expectations in time management. She emphasizes the importance of strong deadlines and encourages us to overdeliver early. Based on her model of communication and planning, we’ve learned how to prioritize tasks, work efficiently, and reduce stress in season. These skills are pivotal when we engage with sponsors and also come in handy for large school projects on a tight deadline.
Beyond the team, Toni actively links robotics to the outside world through her community involvement. On our team, she helped initiate the printing of Safety whistles through Talon, using her money, to ensure our team members can feel like they are protected. She actively promotes our team, carrying our coffee and bread fundraising items and sharing Talon’s story everywhere she goes, encouraging support with everyone she meets.
More than FRC
In addition to mentoring Talon, she dedicates her time to our FTC program, mentoring teams, and building the new generation of engineers. Toni is connected with our student base. She is the first to ask about how our day went, whether we were prepared for our finals, and how we are feeling, reinforcing the importance of balancing robotics with the rest of our lives. Her advice not only helps dissipate the stress, but is validated by her own life experience, which she shares with us to better our lives.
Although she is not required to stay beyond scheduled hours, Toni chooses to remain with the team, offering support while encouraging self-reliance when she is in Open Room. Her dedication, proactive leadership, and belief in our potential exemplify the true spirit of Woodie Flowers and FIRST, that robotics is more than robots. Through her mentorship, we have grown not only as engineers but as confident, capable individuals.
