Re: SENIORS, volunteering for FIRST or helping your team or other teams
 

I would also like to mention about the tension that may build if you choose to become a mentor for your HS team. I have found that college students sometimes run into the issue of current adult mentors still viewing them as "one of the kids". It makes sense, because to the mentors, making that mental transition from seeing you as a mentor after seeing you as a student for so long can be tough. It's different on any team, but if you do choose to come back to your old team as anything more than an occasional visitor, you should sit down with your mentors and set some ground rules before the season goes on. you may be one of the first students on your team in the position of being graduated and wanting to come back to mentor - and a great way to get off on the right foot is to talk realistically with your other mentors.

I highly suggest volunteering. It seems to fit in best with the hectic college student schedule and you get to see a side of FIRST you may have always been curious about.

And remember: your GPA counts! I would rather keep a FIRST graduate around and have them inspire only 5 students than have them inspire 10 students but be asked to leave school. The whole changing the culture thing only works if people reach the end point - entering a science/technology based career - and your GPA is absolutley necessary to get there.

Good luck!

Re: SENIORS, volunteering for FIRST or helping your team or other teams
 

I'm a senior as well, and I will be mentoring either Team 1304 at Tulane University in New Orleans or one of the many teams in the Bay Area if I attend UC Berkeley.

I also plan on volunteering at a regional or two, doing field setup or inspections or something. I hope to work my way up to working the bigger jobs as a ref.

Re: SENIORS, volunteering for FIRST or helping your team or other teams
 

I just want to reiterate Cory and Sara's points. I started a team this year at Michigan State. It was my freshman year. In a word? It was insane! I don't regret doing it, but it's really, really time consuming. And I'm sure there will be a couple of you out there who will ignore my warnings just like I ignored everyone else's, but if you start a team of your own, it will be tough, especially in your freshman year. If you're bound and determined? Freshman year you can start to lay the groundwork. Get your high school, get your sponsors, find a place to work, do the little things then. Please be careful with your freshman year!

Re: SENIORS, volunteering for FIRST or helping your team or other teams
 

I'll be mentoring 830 (the Rat Pack) next year at Ann Arbor. Also, I've talked to some people on 573 about mentoring promotions/scouting/strategy via e-mail. Should make for a busy yet fun year!

Re: SENIORS, volunteering for FIRST or helping your team or other teams
 

I'm basically going to be volunteering hopefully at ucf..if i can get away....
being in Tampa, ..there are teams around...ill might go out and help once and a while but i don't really know.
I'll still be in contact with my team, s.p.a.m. on the east coast of FL by helping out with a few things that i do besides helping fabricate parts..and i'll sure be stopping by when i go home once and a while

all i can say like the rest is def. volunteer if you can...it's great to not just b/c it's FIRST and something you love but volunteering is just a good thing to do in general. and if you can't the first year try another year...the love for FIRST will never die in your heart.

good luck to all the seniors next year..congrats too we made it this far we can keep on going!! :) go class of 05!!

Re: SENIORS, volunteering for FIRST or helping your team or other teams
 

I will be attending "Full Sail University" next year.

I plan on AT LEAST voluntering at the UCF regional *if its still at the UCF campus which is a 5 min drive from FullSail*, but i am also hoping to help any local teams really around the Winter Park area outside of Orlando

Volunteering
 

As a graduating senior this year, I will try to volunteer for my local regional, the UTC regional. My wish is to become an MC, or play-by-play anounncer for any regional. This is another way to represent my home team, team 230

Re: SENIORS, volunteering for FIRST or helping your team or other teams
 

I know that I'll be too far away to mentor 103 next year, but Carnegie Mellon helps to mentor team 1185, so I may consider joining in. I definitely plan on volunteering at the Pittsburgh Regional and would love to volunteer at the Philadelphia Regional if it falls on my spring break and I have enough time. I'd like to think that it would be awesome to volunteer at the Championship - I don't think it would be a terribly realistic idea to attempt to do so, but we'll see.

Re: SENIORS, volunteering for FIRST or helping your team or other teams
 

As a senior, I'm one of the lucky people going to a college that already has a FIRST team. I'll be transitioning from team 230 (Gaelhawks) at Shelton High School to team 229 at Clarkson University.

I'm still hoping to volunteer at the New England Regional though so I can visit my Gaelhawks ;D

Re: SENIORS, volunteering for FIRST or helping your team or other teams
 

I do understand where everyone is coming from in this thread.

FIRST is the last thing I would want to give up, in another word I won't give up. I like challenges. This is one more challenge that I am going to face to be a part of FIRST.

...I will be volunteering for FIRST as well as work with Florida FIRST and either start a rookie team or mentor an existing team.

As much as I would love to go back to my own team SigmaC@T, I am not sure how well it would work out once I go to college.

-Arefin.

Re: SENIORS, volunteering for FIRST or helping your team or other teams
 

Any teams near melbourne fl, need mentors because im probobably going to florida tech and want to still be involved, im going to talk to aidan browne who was the head ref at utc and annapolis to be on the field at competetions but if that doesnt work out id like to work for a team...let me know

Re: SENIORS, volunteering for FIRST or helping your team or other teams
 

I am planning on going to Virginia Tech, so i am planning on finding a team in the local area and help mentor them. Also i plan on volunteering for regionals.

It would be hard to leave FIRST after being part of it for the last four years. There is no way i could just leave FIRST.

Re: SENIORS, volunteering for FIRST or helping your team or other teams
 

Tech directly supports team 401. As for the rest of the local area, there isn't much there...

Wetzel

Re: SENIORS, volunteering for FIRST or helping your team or other teams
 

I'm still not sure what I'm gonna do honestly. I wanted to come back to help my team next year but I'm not sure I have the time or knowledge. But we shall see when the time comes...

Re: SENIORS, volunteering for FIRST or helping your team or other teams
 

Oh yea theres a few teams in this area. I'm going to FIT too so w00t. :D the teams in this area are in melbourne: 386/Voltage, Rockledge/Cocoa Beach: 233/pink , Merritt Island: 801/Horsepower, Cocoa: 1592/Bionic Tigers. There are a few more teams in the area but they are kinda far. Melbourne is in the South end of the county.