[Jimmy Nichols]

1. What role do you play as a part of FIRST? I am a mentor for the machine team helping the students with their design ideas, I am also the pit boss at the competitions. I am also the Judge advsior for both the FLL and FTC tournaments that our team hosts.
2. How does FIRST help students for the future? FIRST provides a medium in which students who are interested in engineering or engineering tech can get a leg up in the field by getting to interact with adults who work in industry.
3. What has FIRST done for you?FIRST has provided me with a way to help the students of my community to figure out what they are intereseted in and to help them learn about engineering, design, problem solving, troubleshooting, etc. It has also helped me to fulfill my desire to teach and to encourage young people to strive for knowledge.
4. What do you enjoy most about being a mentor?I enjoy working with the students, to see their excitement when our team is successful or when they have finally figured out that one concept that they were stuggling with. I really enjoy getting to meet like minded people from all over the country and world who are into FIRST as much as I am.
5. How did you become involved?I became involved with Team 1038 in 2004 when I chose to mentor the team as part of my Senior Design project for my program at Miami University.
6. What encouragement would you give to new/potential mentors?I would tell new/potential mentors that helping these students can be, at times, very hard and frustrating, but you must learn to have patience with them. In the end the goal is biuld up the students and not to biuld a robot.
7. What are some of the rewards you get as a mentor?Getting to see the students excitement when our team wins or when something the disigned or biult becames an integral or crucial part of our robot. To see the sense of accomlishment on their face.
8. How do you feel FIRST and being a mentor has affected you and your life?FIRST has taught me how to be a better teacher, to have more patience, and has shown me that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
9. What are some skills needed to be a mentor?The one thing needed is patience. You don't need to know everything, the internet can serve for answering most questions, but being able to work the students and not get frustrated with them when they don't get it or are confused is all you need to be a great mentor.
10. How have you used your background knowledge (profession) in being a mentor?I have used my skills from being a former maintence tech to help with maintaining the robot with the students at the compeition. My current role as a Contorl engineer has helped me help the kids realize their design ideas.
11. What do you feel the biggest challenge of being a mentor is?Maintaining your patience with their limited skillsets is still the biggest challange.
12. What do you believe is expected of you?To do what I can to help the students learn and to biuld up their self-esteem.
13. In what way do you feel that you help the kids?I think I help them become more confident in the skills; engineering, design, troubleshooting,etc.
14. What is your favorite part about it?My favorite part of being a mentor is getting to help the students learn.
15. Why should someone become a mentor?Someone should become a mentor if they are into education, helping the youth of the world, and it doesn't hurt to be into robots either.
16. Anything you might want to add!