1. What role do you play as a part of FIRST?
I am a technical mentor for team 125 and am involved at the regional planning level. I also co-created
The Blue Alliance and its features.
2. How does FIRST help students for the future?
FIRST prepares students for the 'real world' by partial immersion into a corporate style product development system. Students are able to exercise their creative muscles and learn lessons about many aspects of life (team work, planning, budgeting, failure, etc.)
3. What has FIRST done for you?
FIRST has taught me technical skills, the value of hard work, team work, and most recently the pleasure of mentoring high school students.
4. What do you enjoy most about being a mentor?
I love lighting the spark that gets the students excited and involved with different projects. I'm amazed at how motivated and smart these kids are.
5. How did you become involved?
I was on a team as a high school student.
6. What encouragement would you give to new/potential mentors?
Students (at least the ones I have dealt with) respond well to structure. Meetings are 10x more productive if you can set a schedule and assign tasks. This shouldn't be too hard for teachers or managers, but is sure a stretch for college students.
7. What are some of the rewards you get as a mentor?
It's still fun to win
... Beyond that pretty much everything you would expect.
8. How do you feel FIRST and being a mentor has affected you and your life?
I am a much better person for being involved in this. I have created many close bonds through the program.
9. What are some skills needed to be a mentor?
PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE!
10. How have you used your background knowledge (profession) in being a mentor?
I am currently in charge of software development on the team. I help students learn how to program and try to help them develop problem solving skills.
11. What do you feel the biggest challenge of being a mentor is?
Finding balance between the team and other commitments. FIRST is very addictive, as it is very fun. It is very easy for technical mentors to fall into the trap of doing too much work on the robot. Sometimes it is difficult to step back and let the students learn for themselves.
12. What do you believe is expected of you?
Endless worldy knowledge.
I'm not kidding. I should probably read all of wikipedia before January.
13. In what way do you feel that you help the kids?
I have a very competitive, optimistic spirit. I feel like this, in combination with the technical skills we try to teach, help motivate them to work hard to accomplish their goals.
14. What is your favorite part about it?
The people. The robots. Everything.
15. Why should someone become a mentor?
It may seem like a daunting task at first, but if you like mentoring, technology, sports, or any combination of the above, I think you will love it.
16. Anything you might want to add!
Did I mention its fun?!