Transitioning From Student to Mentor

[Andrew Schreiber]

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?

The weirdest thing for me was realizing that somehow I was expected to have the answers to problems now.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
What it was like to not play in eliminations. I know it seems weird but when I was a student we never missed elms. CMP 2008 was the first time I missed it at an on season event. It was a real eye opener to me.


Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
I had a few days where I was sick this year, I mentored via github comments, text messages, and phone calls. It "works" but I'm an in-person kind of guy. I communicate best that way. So it's awkward for me.


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've been on a fair number of teams with any number of different mentors. I've taken the good from each of those teams. I always try to understand why a team is run the way it is. It's weird, and sometimes scary, to join a new team. I know coming into 79 I was pretty terrified. For reference, I'm the youngest mentor on the team by 8 years. I was worried they'd just assume I was some punk kid. But the thing I've found about most of FIRST is they are pretty accepting of new ideas.


Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
I didn't have a choice. I promised I'd give back to my community when I graduated. Nah, but really, FIRST has played such a huge part in my life I couldn't think of not sharing that with others.