[kwotremb]

I was part of FIRST in high school as well (93), but did not do anything in college with FIRST, and have since came back and helped out two different teams (818 then 3414). First thing to consider is you are still going to be a student yet in college. You will learn a lot and should try to get as much out of it as you can. All colleges have great programs and hands on teams that you can join to improve yourself as much as you can. There are programs like FutureCar/Truck, Formula SAE, Mini Baja, Solar car, Concrete Canoe and many more. Look into these as well to join and they will supplement your learning very well, plus they give you great opportunities to get a job out of college. I know my team had a rule to not let kids that graduate from the team become a mentor on the team for 4 years, and I feel it is a very good rule. Look into ways that you can help further your learning in college as much as you can, and if you have time then consider helping out a team. I was part of Challenge X in college (a hybrid car competition) and that is what gave me the great job I have now out of college and be the best mentor I can. Now to your questions.

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
As other have said its taking a step back. You are used to working on the robot, making decisions, but you need to lead and direct more. Also trying to get all the students involved. Make sure there are projects for everyone and with some teams its easier than others
What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
Sometimes its just learning a new team. Every team will have different dynamics, ways they run things and how everything works. There are also different manufacturing capabilities, and from my design standpoint that has to be learned in order to design to what you can make.
Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
Have not tried.
What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
It can be great but hard at first. It takes me a while to warm up, so I like to see how the dynamics and where everyone falls into place before I jump in to much. I do not like stepping on toes and getting on someones bad side to early. Also remember every team is different. Some things you did on an old team will not be able to work on the new one. Plus there may be some things that your new team does better. Learn how your new team works and suggest things if they might work better. You do not want to make your new team exactly like the old one, then it would be no fun at the events.
Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
My parents pushed me a little bit, but for me I just like doing stuff. This just gives me another opportunity to have fun teach and even learn new things myself. I had a lot of fun in FIRST when I was in high school and its a great way to give back.