FLL Mentorship

Why I Did This

Robotics gave me so much growing up. FIRST LEGO League was where I first discovered that building things could be more than a hobby — it could be a passion. The experience of designing a robot, programming autonomous routines, and competing with a team shaped how I think about engineering and collaboration. So when I had the opportunity to mentor younger FLL teams, it was not even a question. I wanted to give back to the community that had given me my start.

There is also a practical reality: younger robotics teams often struggle not because they lack talent, but because they lack guidance. The kids are brilliant and enthusiastic, but they need someone who has been through the competition before, someone who can help them navigate the engineering process and the teamwork dynamics that FIRST emphasizes. I wanted to be that person.

What I Did

My mentorship work covered several teams and took different forms depending on what each team needed. The most intensive commitment was coaching a team that went on to qualify for the world competition, where they earned the Core Values Award. That award is significant in FIRST culture — it recognizes the team that best embodies the values of teamwork, discovery, and gracious professionalism. Helping a group of young students not just build a competitive robot but also develop the collaborative mindset that FIRST celebrates was incredibly rewarding.

I also guided another team to the West Edge International competition, which brought its own set of challenges and learning moments. Each team had different strengths and weaknesses, and part of mentoring was learning to adapt my coaching style to what each group needed.

One of the more unique aspects of my mentorship was serving as a translator for international Chinese teams visiting competitions. Being bilingual allowed me to bridge a real communication gap. These teams were talented engineers, but language barriers made it hard for them to fully participate in the collaborative and presentation aspects of FIRST events. I helped them understand judging criteria, communicate their project ideas effectively, and connect with other teams — all things that are hard to do when you are competing in a language that is not your own.

The time commitment was significant. At peak periods I was mentoring five or more sessions per week, on top of my own schoolwork and FTC commitments. But the intensity was part of what made it work. Robotics skills do not develop in occasional weekend workshops. They develop through consistent practice, iteration, and the kind of problem-solving that only happens when you are deep in a build cycle.

Impact

Seeing a team I coached stand on the world competition stage and receive the Core Values Award was one of the proudest moments I have had in robotics — and I was not even competing. Watching students go from struggling to assemble their first mechanism to presenting confidently to judges showed me the power of sustained mentorship.

The translation work mattered too, in ways that go beyond competition results. When an international team can fully participate in a FIRST event because someone helped bridge the language gap, that is the kind of inclusive community FIRST is supposed to be about. Several of the Chinese team members told me it was their first time feeling truly included at a competition, and that stuck with me.

Mentoring also made me a better engineer and leader. Explaining concepts to younger students forced me to understand them more deeply myself. You cannot teach something you only half understand. And managing the dynamics of a team of energetic middle schoolers taught me patience, communication, and the kind of leadership that listens before it directs.

This experience reinforced something I believe strongly: knowledge is most valuable when you share it. The robotics skills I have will not matter nearly as much as the students I helped develop those same skills. That is the real legacy of mentorship.