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Originally Posted by KenWittlief
If you do decide to be a mentor while you are in college then accept the fact that you will not play a key role on the team. You are no longer a HS student, and you are not yet an engineer.
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I think the most important sentence in this paragraph is not the first, but the second. You don't know what your role will be - that will depend on the organization of the team you join.
However, it cannot be stated too emphatically:
YOU ARE NO LONGER A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. You cannot expect to be just another one of the kids. For one thing, you are probably an adult (at least you're over 18, maturity aside) and the kids are not. That alone creates a legal difference in your status - remember that in your relationships and interactions with teams.
If it's your former team that you're considering mentoring - reconsider it very intently. Those kids that are juniors and your friends this year are supposed to be the team leaders next year. If you come back and your mere presence being there usurps that role from them, you will have failed as a mentor. A person who shows up twice during the build season, and then accompanies the team to a competition, isn't a mentor - he's an alumnus. Figure out what your role should and will be before committing - talk it over with the coaches.
Don't offer to mentor just because "you can't let it go". There are many great experiences we have in life that cannot be recreated, no matter how hard we try. We have to accept that we can't go back, we can never relive the wonderful moments we have had. We can make great new memories - just make sure you're getting into mentoring for that reason, not to try to extend your current experiences.
The suggestion to volunteer at an event is wonderful. It will be a short-term high-time commitment, rather than a long-term high-time commitment. Many college students can arrange their schedules for a weekend without undue effects on their grades - as long as you don't skip exams or other important class sessions!
Whatever you decide to do, make sure it will be positive, both for you personally and for the team. Don't let your grades suffer because of it - if you have to restrict your participation to once or twice a week, so be it, I'm sure the team will accept your limited role if they are aware of it from the beginning.