[Denise Bohnsack]

Some thoughts.

Going to college is a big transition in itself.It is critical to keep in mind that doing well in school, focusing on your classes, and achieving good grades is the most important use of your time. FIRST wants students to get scholarships, do well in school, and become positive influences in the workforce. Alumni who take on too much responsibility mentoring a FIRST team and suffer for it, hurt themselves, something nobody wants.

My son mentored as a college student, and managed to still do well, but I have seen others take on too much and as a result their college work suffered.

I think volunteering at local FTC events, which need volunteers on a Saturday, and don't require as much travel, since there are many more FTC local venues, is a good compromise. Also, there is usually no need to spend the night in another distant city, which is hard for a student on a tight budget. Volunteering fofrFLL events may be another good option. You meet a whole new group of folks, but still those tuned into the FIRST culture.

When you are a college student, the intense build season of FRC and subsequent need to take off Thursday, Friday and Saturday for a regional, can be demanding for a student who needs to be at college classes. Also,unless the regional happens to be in the city the college is located, often requires travel.

This year, I helped 2 freshman college students (among others) to volunteer at the St Louis Championship. They worked with their college professors to get work done early, take tests before and after championship, and to get permission to go. While other FIRST participants were having fun in the evenings, they were back in their hotel rooms studying, in some cases late into the night, to be prepared for their tests when they got back. I admire their dedication as alumni to FIRST greatly, but I hope it was not too much for them. It is critical to have alumni continue to be involved, and we should all help them find the best opportunities to do so, which complement their school workload and their budget.
FIRST Alumni have many more opportunities to join other clubs after high school and this is where we lose them, some may come back, some not. But providing great volunteer and network opportunities is the key.