Transitioning From Student to Mentor

[treffk]

First of all I'm going to leave this link. http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47004&highlight=mentoring+in+coll ege

Secondly,

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
Separating myself from the students. Freshly out of high school I had been peers with these students for quite awhile. Moving into a mentor you have to step outside of those friendships and know boundaries. I had some issues with this my first year mentoring and I still do have a bit of issues because some of the kids are at my house frequently because they are good friends with my brother. Other's I have known for quite awhile because they are a sibling of my best friend and view them more as family.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
I still had a bunch of growing up to do. I learned I had to control my temper. The during the summer of my first year while we were collecting items for our annual garage sale I got very upset with the "lead student" on the team because I moved 3 truckloads of items myself. I said some things I'm not very proud of to him to try to get him to step up to the plate.

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
I have not done this although I have a feeling I will begin doing this during the next season as I am moving away from the only team I have ever been apart of and will possibly be living in Guam.

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
I have only ever been apart of team 1802. Maybe next year I'll be with a new team or possibly starting my own. I think I'm up to the challenge of bringing FIRST to Guam if that is where I end up.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
The entire program as a whole. Leaving the program has never even crossed my mind. I truly believe in what the program sets out to accomplish and that we can inspire students to be able to reach for the stars. It doesn't even have to be in a STEM field in my mind. If we can help the students learn valuable life skills, learn that they can accomplish anything that they set their mind to, show them their true potential and help them be a better person; we have done something wonderful for these students, our youth and our future.