2023 BENEFIT FOR STUYVESANT - The Outstanding Teacher Award
James “Jim” Lonardo has taught at Stuyvesant since 1984. A well-loved Tech teacher, he has also served as Senior Coordinator, Coordinator of Technology, and faculty advisor for the yearbook, The Indicator.
In 2003, he became the coach of Stuyvesant’s award-winning FIRST Robotics Team. While he initially only wanted to facilitate logistics, he eventually brought his expertise in technical drawing and CAD to the students. Without his skills, the team’s robot would have never accomplished as much as it has today.
During the past two decades, Mr. Lonardo has been volunteering overtime so that the team’s engineering division can build the best robot. He literally goes the extra mile by driving the robot to and from the NYC Regional each year, alongside organizing all essential forms. Without Mr. Lonardo, the team wouldn’t even be able to compete!
According to Jim, his favorite part of being their coach is “giving [them] a hard time—I mean, working with [them].” The team members appreciate him as an older friend, who makes them laugh by claiming he forgot to register for a regional or that they got red-carded. His lightheartedness reinforces his belief that their ultimate goal lies not in winning, but to reap the benefits competitions bring them—teamwork and a positive learning experience.
To commemorate his almost 40 years of teaching at Stuyvesant and 20 years of mentoring the team, StuyPulse’s robot this year, “Jim”, is named after him!