SENIORS, volunteering for FIRST or helping your team or other teams

[Freddy Schurr]

To the graduating SENIORS,

Is anyone

1) volunteering for FIRST

2) mentoring they team

3) mentoring other teams ( like Rookie or second-year teams)

For me, I know I want to come and help out FIRST. Like I would want to MC a regional because I am spirited and like FIRST a lot. But also I would want to mentor my team because I feel they could use my help leading into a new direction. And I may want to mentor a rookie or second-year team, they could use some help. I want to know what other SENIORS are doing.

[Cory]

My best advice is to not bite off more than you can handle.

I would not try to start a rookie team in your first year of college. It's too much to handle to try to get acclimated to college, have a social life, and start a team from the ground up.

If you want to work with a team, work with one that is already established.

The easiest way to stay involved is by volunteering, I think.

[Ryan Dognaux]

I'm currently a Seinor. Next year, I plan to attend Purdue University. While none of this is set in stone yet, I would like to help with the Purdue Regional in some way and also possibly mentor a team. I think this will keep me very involved in FIRST, which I really want to be after high school.

Maybe even voltuneer at a regional or two

[nobrakes8]

I'm going to school at RIT, I plan on mentoring team 73 or whoever RIT sponsors (Or IF I meet a few friends who are from the area and they mentor their old HS team, I might mentor with them on another team). I don't plan on working to the extent I did with my team here in Connecticut, but once you're into FIRST it's hard to walk away completely.

I think it would be fun to be a ref, but I doubt FIRST looks for new refs very often (especially college aged refs) because this year had like all the same refs from last year's game at UTC.

I met a kid from another team who is going to RIT too, he plans on mentoring team 73 as well so I'm willing to bet lots of seniors might help with exisiting teams next year.

[dm0ney]

I am unsure about my college choices...

Currently In: Caltech, UofM
Awaiting: Harvard, Stanford, Cornell


I HOPE to keep active in FIRST in some way. I know with UMich that I wont have a problem mentoring or staying active with me being 2 hours or so from my current team and the incredible density of teams in MI.
Cornell has 639 as well as the FIRST Robotics Club there....

I honestly dont know about Stanford, Harvard, and Caltech and FIRST with them.

I suppose I'll look into it if I acquire admission and then accept those schools.


Right now, I think I'm only going to mentor a team next year to start with... then go from there.

[bhweezer]

Next year I'm planning on going to the local community college, so I will be able to stay and be a college mentor for my team. After a year or two I plan on going to Tulane in New Orleans and hopefully will be able to help out with a team there. I also heard a rumor of a New Orleans regional starting up in the next couple of years. It would be awesome to volunteer for.

[BandChick]

I have to agree with Cory. I tried to stay involved with my team, but it's harder than you think. Volunteer when regionals come around, try to make it to one or two meetings with a nearby team. Watch the kickoff with your whole residence hall XD

I'm involved with 1089 (my high school team) still. And yes, in the future I'd love to mentor a new rookie team, but right now with college on my plate it's tough. Be careful, but don't let it go completely if it's something you really want in your life. Hey, maybe even some of the kids you're in school with did FIRST and want to tag along with you.

[George A.]

Here's my two cents. I graduated last year, am once the school year started I immediately missed FIRST. This was mainly due to the fact that in HS there was always something to do.

I'm currently attending Montclair State University (on a FIRST scholarship, so make sure you apply), and I commute. Since I commute that leaves me at home with the chance to volunteer. I'm helped out my HS team (11) and I offered to mentor team 11's sister team (1302) but due to scheduling conflicts i could only make meetings once in a blue moon.

My advice? Volunteer. I signed up through VIMS and got in contact with the volunteeer coordintator for NJ and he hooked me up with play by play announcer. After I did that Tony Paxton (volunteer coordinator for NYC Regional) liked it he asked me to be backup MC for NYC, which I did this past week. Also Don Bowers and Randy Schaeffer like my play-by-play at NJ so much that they personally reccomended me to Lynn Casey (volunteer coordinator for Nationals) and asked if she could get me a job. As of now I'm real time scorekeeper for one of the fields, but I'm also backup announcer for the backup announcer. In the event that two announcers need breaks at the same time or more than one announcer can't make it I'm on.

So get your name out to the people, and volunteer. It's so rewarding to know that you helped put on something incredible, and seeing all the teams faces when they rush the stands to get seats, there's nothing more rewarding.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by dm0ney

I honestly dont know about Stanford, Harvard, and Caltech and FIRST with them.

Stanford has a large number of teams within 15-30 minutes of it. Many, I'm sure, would be very happy to have an experience college student mentor them.

You should also be able to find a decent number of teams near Caltech.

[CJO]

In my experience, a good volunteer (at a regional) is always welcome. I signed up for Sacto this year. At SVR I was drafted. I have been invited to both Vegas and SoCal even though my team is not competing at either. This is also true of some other volunteers who have been asked to come to further regionals.

[DCA Fan]

I am volunteering for SoCal and Championship. All the positions that I have held on my team I have become the "mentor" for, teaching the younger team members what to do to take my place. I hope to work with a nearby team when I go to college. Right now I'm looking at UCSD, so Midnight Mechanics, I might be giving you a call

[jgannon]

Since next year I'll be 2500 miles away from my current team, I'll be looking forward to mentoring team 1185, and volunteering at the Pittsburgh regional. I'd also go to volunteer at the championship, if I have enough money left over from paying for tuition and Top Ramen.

[Bcahn836]

I too am a senior, I plan to start off at the local college here in Southern Maryland to get the basics out of the way and then transfer to a 4 year college which I have not yet decided on.

However I would like to come back as a mentor for my team 836. With 3 years experience and a great interest I think would be interesting and fun. I know some of the problems and arguments between the students and mentors, because I am currently a student myself. I would like to be able to change some of that, to help satisfy the needs of both the students and mentors.

[Lisa Rodriguez]

I'm a senior and as of next year i'll be in florida (long was from home). St. Pete's to be exact. I've been told by many a college mentor to just volenteer your freshman year, and see how it goes. Since i'm not planning on going into engineering, nor does my school have that major on campus, there's no team to my school (no teams closeby either?) and i won't have a car. Thus, if i can, i'll volenteer, either at home on spring break, or if i can, at the florida regional next year. I know some of the ref, or just being a field volenteer is good for me!

[Matt Leese]

Originally Posted by nobrakes8

I'm going to school at RIT, I plan on mentoring team 73 or whoever RIT sponsors (Or IF I meet a few friends who are from the area and they mentor their old HS team, I might mentor with them on another team). I don't plan on working to the extent I did with my team here in Connecticut, but once you're into FIRST it's hard to walk away completely.

I think it would be fun to be a ref, but I doubt FIRST looks for new refs very often (especially college aged refs) because this year had like all the same refs from last year's game at UTC.

I met a kid from another team who is going to RIT too, he plans on mentoring team 73 as well so I'm willing to bet lots of seniors might help with exisiting teams next year.

RIT actually works with quite a few local teams in Rochester. We only get our name on one. I believe RIT students worked with a total of 7 different teams this year.

On another note, I am doing a presentation on this very topic at the FIRST Conference at the Championship. It's creatively titled College FIRST. There are some things to consider before you jump in head first.

Matt