[Ryan Dognaux]

Purdue FIRST Programs has a rule in place that you cannot mentor the same team you were on in high school for one year after graduating. There is no possible way that the students on the team will see you as a mentor after having been a student on the team the year before. Taking a year off from the team gives you and the team some transition time, and when you come back, you'll be seen differently than you were before.

My suggestion as an incoming college freshman is to just volunteer at regional events and maybe just come in a few times during the build season for design reviews and things of that nature. I mentored a team for three years during college and it has been a great experience, but I'm glad I took that first year off from FIRST to help transition myself.