NAU- Gateway Center

As an incoming freshman, some students might know exactly what they want to study while others have no clue where to start. The gateway center is an amazing resource for both category of students! The Gateway center offers career and academic advising for underclassmen (mainly freshman). Students can meet up with their assigned advisor for a variety of different reasons or questions. Appointments can be made for early enrollment advising, finding a major or career, strategies for maintaing successful grades, and resume and cover letter assistance. One of the great things about the Gateway center is how they do walk-in advising. Some students might just need a simple question answered but their advisor is out for the day. If that's the case, the student can make an appointment right then and there to discuss their questions. It is also fairly easy to stop in to check their major progression plan to make sure they are staying on track and taking the right courses!

All of Gateways resources are free and they can be reached via phone call or email:

gateway.edu & 928-23-4772

More information about Gateway can be found at: http://nau.edu/gateway/

Campus Recreation- Get fit!

A very fun and exciting resource for every student at NAU are our campus recreational activities. When paying the tuition fees, you also pay the fee for the campus recreational facilities so might as well take advantage of it! Included in these facilities are a gym with an indoor track, exercise machines, weights, free exercise classes everyday, and basketball courts. They also offer classes for credit but you do need to pay for them. They offer zumba, kickboxing, yoga, swimming, boxing, and many more. They also have plenty of activities available for students such as Tough Louie Adventure race or the 3-pt shot contest. They also have a challenge course in which students have to pay but it's extremely fun. Campus recreational services/facilities offer many ways to stay fit and have fun throughout your NAU years!

http://nau.edu/Campus-Recreation/

3-Counseling services

Counseling services are located at the university at the HLC (Health and Learning Center). A student may need to be deferred to counseling services if they are having a hard time with adjustment to university life, relationships,anxiety, etc. I think this resource is often overlooked by students because they want to handle all of their stresses independently; however, I think it's important for us as peer mentors to promote good mental health as well as physical health. Counseling services is conveniently free to all SSS members so if a mentee wants to begin using this service all they have to do is email us (their peer mentor or an SSS staff position) and we can set them up for free! The only qualification is that you do the intake survey once you arrive at the medical/counseling service's main office. This takes about 10 minutes to complete the first time. This resource is free to all SSS mentees and should be used as needed so make sure to promote our access to counseling!

Links:
Counseling services main page
- http://nau.edu/counseling-services/
Guide on counseling services for faculty and staff
- http://nau.edu/Counseling-Services/Guide-For-Faculty-and-Staff/

NAU Student Resources

Brianna Mackie

Student Support Services

Peer Mentor

30 March 2015

Disability Resource Center

The resource I would like to discuss and thought was the most beneficial as a men-tee going into SSS and starting out at NAU that helped me get through a lot with my illness was the Disability Resource Center. They provide excellent service and help you out so much. All you have to do is apply and fill out an application, set up an appointment then base off your disability they can help you with your accommodations. These could include like longer time on test, food or drinks in class, disability resource bus if you have a hard time walking or even have an injury, free testing in their rooms, breaks in classes, or help assistant you if you have a learning or hearing disability. The staff are wonderful and are always willing to assist you with anything you need. Every semester once your in you have to re apply and by doing this this sends out your accommodation letter to your professors the following semester so they are aware ahead of time and can work with you. If you have any more questions or want to make an appointment or ask them about the application process and talk to them about your disability you can call them at 928-523-8773 or you can even go to their link and check out their page to find out more information at http://nau.edu/Disability-Resources/

3- Student Learning Center

STUDENT LEARNING CENTER

The Student Learning Center is a great resource on campus. The SLC is located in the Fieldhouse and on South campus by the Suites. Both centers offer computer use, printing, private study rooms, study workshops, and private one-one tutoring. The SLC on South campus includes technical support and is open 24 hours a day. All these amenities are free for all NAU students.

http://nau.edu/Student-Learning-Centers/

Student Resources

The Cline Library is a great resource for studying for classes, finding articles for class or just for a good place that is quiet and to have a meeting with others. The Cline Library has a coffee shop inside and classrooms along with the main library. It is a great place to do some late night studying and enjoy a snack and drink at the cute coffee shop. The Cline Library also has an online database that allows you to check out equipment such as books and computers and make appointments for the private rooms in the library. Also on the online resource you can chat with one of the librarians who works at the cline and ask them any questions about articles or any books you wish to check out. The Cline Library is open till 2 am on most days and on Friday and Saturday till 8pm, so you can get a lot of homework done or have a nice chat with friends and read for a while.

If you want to learn more about this resource or find a book or article then you can find all of this at :
http://library.nau.edu/services/ 

3- Student Resources

The Writing Center!

The Writing Center is an amazing resource for students to use, that allows them to better their writing skills. The Writing Center is free to all NAU students. Faculty includes graduate students, who are able to assist students in each stage of the writing process. There are two Writing Centers on campus, both north and south Student Leaning Centers. At the bottom of the post, a link was included for more information. This includes how to make an appointment, hours of operation, and their mission.

http://nau.edu/CAL/English/Student-Resources/Writing-Center/

3-Lumberjack Leadership Institute

The resource I’d like to discuss is the Lumberjack Leadership Institute.  In 2008, The Suder Foundation and the University of Memphis researched, developed and established a First Scholars Program—Northern Arizona University just joined last spring as an affiliate with its first group of student attendees.  Its mission is to dramatically improve the graduation rate of first generation college students and prepare each scholar for a life with self-awareness, success, and significance.  The Lumberjack Leadership Institute (LLI) addresses cognitive and non-cognitive challenges common to many first generation students during their college experience. First-generation college students are students whose parents have not earned a 4-year college degree. The goal is for its students to graduate as leaders empowered for a fulfilled life—and make a difference in the world. This resource helps students overcome significant life challenges to achieve college enrollment as the first in their family. The benefits for being a part of the Lumberjack Leadership Institute are numerous.  You will be involved in workshops that help you:

• Make connections with other first-generation students
• Learn more about your strengths and skills
• Develop a plan for college and beyond
• Identify potential mentors who can guide you toward greater success.

Each workshop session is 90 minutes long, and includes time to connect with fellow attendees, learn something new about college success strategies, and develop an action plan for your own success in college and beyond.  By completing the Institute and earning your certification as a First-Generation Ambassador, you will improve your college portfolio and resume, becoming more competitive for leadership roles on campus and employment after college.

http://nau.edu/First-Generation/Lumberjack-Leaders-Institute

Health, Wealth, Happiness

     One of my favorite resources on campus is Health Promotion, located in the HLC. They offer a very wide variety of services for both students and faculty on campus. They put on events for everyone to become more educated about health and wellness, and just have a lot of information in general about health and wellness. Health promotion services are always free, and open to everyone on campus. Some of the events they hold include information sessions about violence, sexual assault, alcohol and drug abuse, stress, and nutrition. It is especially important for university students to be aware of these topics because they can be a part of life, either yours or someone you know, and it is good information to have for when these things do happen. Wellness Wednesdays happens every month, in which they offer free HIV testing and free back rubs! There are also several clubs like CHEC, SHACK, and Stressbusters which are a part of Health Promotions that are available for those who are interested in health and wellness as either a career or just something for fun.
     Life at university can be very different from life at home, and it is essential to have to knowledge for a safe and healthy four years. Here is a link to the NAU Health Promotion website if you'd like more information. http://nau.edu/Health-Services/Health-Promotions/

3- NAU/Flagstaff Resources

Research and choose one resource for students at NAU (or Flagstaff in general). Discuss in your blog what the resource is and how to access it (qualifications, cost, etc.). Use language that is appropriate for first-year SSS mentees to understand. Also include a web-link or contact information for your resource.

Resources cannot be duplicated in the blog (i.e. you cannot have the same resource as another mentor); so the sooner you write your post, the better.

[Responses should be made to others who blog about a resource you were not previously familiar with or aware of]

See how happy she is? Students that use resources are happier than those that don't. 

Ethics and Boundaries

The role that best aligns with my leadership style is peer leader because I often feel inspired by others and like to look up to a leader to guide me through my future. I had a great peer mentor and that helped make me want to become one as well because of my positive experience. I also love to be a good example for other students and do everything I can to ensure their success in college and have a smooth transition.

The specific risks that I believe might be associated with a peer leader would be having to live up to be a good role model to students and would be a lot of pressure on the peer leader to ensure that this role is completed. Also sometimes students need friends as well and if you are a peer leader, you need to make sure you set a good example for student but also balance being a peer and a mentor at the same time.

Three values that I believe are the most important in maintaining a peer mentor relationship would be passion, reliability and professionalism. I believe that it is important to have passion in order to be a good peer mentor because you cant teach others efficiently, if you don’t enjoy your job and if students see that you are enthusiastic and passionate about mentoring, they will want to come to one on one meetings and group meetings and not just because they have to for the program. Also, reliability is very important because in order to set a good example for your students, you need to be able to show up on time and make sure that when they need you or any help at all, you are there and they can rely on you because that establishes trust and security.                             Lastly, professionalism is of key importance because in order to build a relationship between students, there needs to be a line between being a friend and staying true to your job. In order to be an effective peer mentor, their needs to be an understanding of what you cant do with being a peer mentor and what is acceptable for the job.

2- Ethichs and Boundries

• Colvin and Ashman describe 5 different peer mentor roles (connecting link, peer leader, learning coach, student advocate, and trusted friend). Which role do you feel most aligns with your leadership style? Why?
• I would most associate myself with a trusted friend. I feel as though a leader should walk along side the people they are leading, instead of walking in front of them. People are more willing to connect to you on multiple levels if they see you as an equal as opposed to being in a leadership role. With this being said, I strive to become this type of leader.
• What specific risks do you believe might be associated with the peer mentor role you have chosen? Can you think of any other risks to peer mentoring that were not covered in the article?
• Risks that may be associated with this role is the line between professional and unprofessional. There must be a boundary in the relationship that will not be crossed. The article did a great job of explaining the risks to a peer mentorship, being that topics were broad enough to be able to cover many different situations, while keeping the information concise.
• Next class we will be discussing ethics and boundaries. What are three values that you believe are of utmost importance in a peer mentorship relationship? Why?
• Values that are the most important to me is trustworthiness, consistency, and vulnerability.
• Trustworthiness: In this, I include confidentiality. To have a relationship with someone, no matter what the relationship is, it is of the upmost importance that they cant trust you. In this mentorship, I would love to have the relationship with my mentees that they are able to come to me with all sorts of things without a fear of repercussion.
• Consistency: It is important to me to be someone who is always consistent. This would include in work and in friendships. It is important to be clear and concise in this position, especially with my mentees. If I have a meeting scheduled at this time, I need to be here at this time. If I tell my mentees that I will be there for them, I need to be there for them.
• Vulnerability: I feel it is important to lead with vulnerability. This meaning that it is important to be authentic and true in my endeavors. I want my mentees to feel that I genuinely care for their well being, and will "give it to them straight", even if it may be hard in the moment. I may also use personal experience as a tool in helping these students, if I can not be vulnerable or authentic, I should not allow myself to tell those stories in the first place.

Post 2

In regards to the 5 different peer mentor roles, I think my leadership style best lines up with learning coach. I would like to be one of the people that guides the students toward self-discovery in that they learn who they are and what they need to do/not do to be successful in life.

I agree with the comment made within the article about anxiety. As a person, I have come to realize that I do strive to do so well in so much, that sometimes I take the risk of stretching myself too thin and that does come with its own challenges - like anxiety. I think an added risk (in addition to the article) would be my fears as a peer mentor that I do not follow through on what was promised to the student - as in, not creating as strong of a connection as I would like or accidentally playing favoritism because I know my current group so well.

I think the most important value for a peer mentor to have is passion, but specifically a passion for students where part of your definition of success is their success. You can be passionate for representation of first-gen. student or foster youth, but at the end of the day, you really have care deeply for each individual student. Following passion would be professionalism. I believe this is very important in a peer role. If your students don't respect you, I think there is little chance they believe you'll be able to help them overall. Courage is important to me as well. Being able to say, "No, you're doing really poorly in classes and from what you've told me, I think it might be linked to your lifestyle habits. If you want to do better for yourself, you have to make some changes" is a hard thing to do. It may seem easier to just briefly touch on the problem and then tell them to try harder next week, but a peer mentor has to be able to (gently) tell it how it is, but with confidence.

Now, to brighten up your blog reading, an image of my favorite Instagram famous, Munchkin Cat:

Albert Baby Cat

Prompt 2: Peer Mentor Roles/ Values

I believe out of the 5 different peer mentor roles, the role of peer leader fits my leadership style the best.  I feel as though I am not afraid to take charge and do what is best not only for me but to help my mentees with any issues they may have.  Being a leader doesn't mean telling someone what to do, it can be as simple as being the one to start a conversation.  I feel my leadership style really blends well with that role.  Some risks that may be associated with being a peer leader is if my mentee feels as though they are a strong leader as well.  If not handled correctly, this could lead to us bumping heads and not being able to agree on solutions.  Some other risks to peer mentoring would be if your mentee looks at you too much like a peer and less like a mentor.  We want to have a strong relationship with our mentees, however we want it to be professional and we want them to listen and respect what we are saying.  I think the three most important values are respect, openness, and professionalism.  I believe respect is needed by both sides in order for mentoring to be a success and truly help the students.  Being open and comfortable to speak is also very important.  Without being open, not much will be construction conversation.  Lastly, professionalism is important because in order to have success in the program, we much stay focused on the job at hand, and that means being professional, and doing what needs to be done. 

2 - Connecting Link, Risks, & Their Collegiate Journey!

Ethics and Boundaries Blog

1. In the Colvin and Ashman article, I found that the connecting link role aligns the best with my leadership style. Through SSS, I have gotten involved with NAU's educational resources and campus activities. These have helped me to feel much more comfortable here! I love to pass this on to first years because they are not always sure where to start. I have acquainted and am still acquainting myself with many of the resources on campus, which makes me feel as though I am experienced enough to be effective help to mentees. Also, I enjoy connecting people with such resources and feel warm and bubbly when I succeed in helping them feel more comfortable.

2. I think all of the following risks mentioned in the article are risks with the peer mentor role: "balancing both the specific requirements and personal desire to do well as mentors with time and other commitments," "getting very emotionally attached to students," "being too dependent on the mentor," "not accepting the mentor," "if the mentor bothered [mentees] too much," and "sometimes it’s hard for students to open up.” I feel like the article covered the risks pretty well that I have thought of, but there probably are more that I can learn from current mentors. 

3. The three values I believe are of the upmost importance in a peer mentorship relationship are: Optimism, Honesty and Accountability. Optimism because it will help us focus on how to have a positive experience and stay strengths-based, rather than dwelling on Negatives. Honesty because that is the only way that problems can be resolved and true relationships can grow. Accountability so that we can both meet the tasks to help the mentee in their collegiate journey.

Peer Mentoring: The Ethics and Boundaries

• After reading through the different roles listed in the article, I would have to say my leadership lends itself best to the student advocate role. I constantly find myself working with students for them to be the most successful versions of themselves. I listen and I care but I work with them to watch them grow and find themselves. This is why I think I am the student advocate role.
• First, I think this article did a good job recognizing the risks of peer mentoring. I think there are risks such as the mentee or the mentor getting too attached. There are risks for the mentor, as mentioned, like not being regarded or spending too much time to not have that noticed by a student. There is the risk for the student of becoming too dependent on the mentor and not learning how to adjust to life as a university student or how to grow as an individual.
• I think three values that are important to the peer mentor role are commitment, understanding, and professionalism. I believe these are important because it creates a healthy rapport with your students. You show them you are committed to their success and transition to the university. Understanding allows you to treat each student fairly with no bias. You may not completely relate or understand their story or background, but you can understand who they are and why they approach certain hurdles the way they do. Lastly, professionalism allows for the relationship to remain in the mentor/mentee relationship. It keeps students from possibly crossing boundaries or mentors from making poor choices.

2-Peer mentoring may be risky business

After reading the Calvin text I think that I fit the role of a student advocate best. This best aligns with my goals as a mentor and my leadership style because advocating for students means that you are there to encourage and help them without getting too close to becoming the "trusted friend" role which seems dangerous to me. I think mixing the closeness of the trusted friend role with that of the leadership helps us to be advocates rather than too unrelatable or too close to be respected.

The risks that come with the Student advocate role include crossing into friendship territory which could cause students to take you less seriously and/or dependency which would inhibit the student from growing and being able to make clear choices without help. Risks that weren't covered in the article could include things like overwhelming a student with information or ideas to the point that they don't participate or even being unable to connect to certain students.

As for what trait seem to be the most important in peer mentoring I think compassion, trust, and professionalism are the most important. This to me means being able to get students to talk to you and listening to them and respecting them no matter what they throw at you.

2- Ethics and Boundaries

I think I would be most aligned with being a "connecting link" peer mentor. I feel I'll be like that because I love being resourceful to others especially when they don't know of their surroundings. I enjoy it when others look for me with questions that I can help by guiding them in the right direction. When my sister became a freshman at my high school, I felt a lot of responsibility to make it seem like it's fun and it'll all be okay. I was proud when showing her around campus and presenting her to my friends. She became comfortable. She's now a sophomore at another high school and she missing our old high school to the point of saving up money to buy a car and drive 10 minutes to it every morning. I would really love having my mentees coming to me with question and me showing them that they made a great choice on coming to NAU. Of course, I would present all the resources that would make their classes much easier too. I know that in the first year of being in college students often have doubts in whether or not they made a good choice on coming to that specific college and that's mainly because of how they haven't found the resources they need, whether it's how to pass class with a good grade or making friends. I see myself as helping students connect with NAU.

I do see, however, some risks coming into play if I'm not careful. One of these would be wanting to perfect in everything I do and probably stressing myself out because of school and by trying to always be helping my mentees out. I'm also afraid of them being too dependent on me that they won't try to find answers on their own and waiting for me to give them all the answers. A risk I didn't see in the article would be that sometimes I probably won't have the answers to what they ask and I'm afraid they won't want to ask me any questions or tell me much.

Three values I see as the most important would probably be open mindedness, trust, and honesty. Having an open mind is crucial because I may encounter some students that won't come from the same background that I do. For the student, they should probably be open minded to new things that I may offer and could make their things better.  Trust is very important because I need to be able to open up a bit so they can too and I can help them. They also need to trust me because that's the only way of me helping them. Honesty is always important but especially in this because if they're going to trust me, then I should be honest. Also, they should be honest about what's really going on with their lives.

2- Ethics and Boundries

My leadership style aligns most with that of a trusted friend. I am laid back and quiet as a leader and I like for people to come to their own decisions. With this style there is a possibility for being too close and involved. You want to be their friend but not their best friend or parent. You could buy them things or lend them things out of boundaries and that is not good. It does allows for more trust which is really important to learning about your mentees. Trust gets them to open up and tell you about them and school and how they function and you need to know that to help them and talk to them and help guide them to other people in the school that can help. You need to be passionate about wanting to work with the mentees and having them succeed. If your not passionate , they won't want to work with you. You need to be adaptable. Not all students have heads that work in the same way, not all meetings will go where you want.You need to be flexible and adapt to all situations that could come so it can be handled and meetings can go smooth. Being a friend allows you to get close but be trusted and passionate and that's what mentees need.

2- Ethics and Boundaries

After reading about the different roles of peer mentoring relationships, I felt like I fit the connecting link and learning coach the best. I enjoy helping my peers with informing them on useful websites, planners, on campus resources to succeed in college. Entering college is a tough experience to go through and being able to adjust to each professors style of teaching is what helped me earn the grades I wanted. Many courses are not straight forward and tutoring or other resources is required for success in that class. That is what I see myself the best at. I am especially good at helping my friends with their time management and organization skills.

A risk associated with this role is the mentee might think that I am trying to change their habits and make them follow what I do because it works for me. Some students are reluctant to change even if they aren't doing that great because they are so accustomed to that style. It would be difficult to get them out of that habit and possibly throw them off and stress them out which would make things worse.

I think the most important values in a peer mentorship relationship would be understanding, professionalism, and supportive.

*Insert creative title here* (ethics and boundaries)

1. After reading about the five types of mentors, I feel like I mostly identify with the learning coach. However,  I believe that having certain characteristics from each mentor type will make us the most well-rounded mentors, but we all know that no one is perfect and we will have strengths and weakness in one area or another. I consider myself a learning coach because I am a strong believer in giving people the tools to reach their goals (whatever that may be) but not necessary do it for them. Some students may just need a little push or reinsurance that they are doing the right thing. I believe that constructive criticism will help build a relationship between mentee and mentor, as well as, give the student confidence that they might not have had before. I will strive to give my students real life skills and strategies to succeed in the future and appropriate advice for whatever situation they are in.

2. I believe my biggest risk would be getting too involved in a student's life. I will obviously care about my students a lot but I know getting too emotionally or mentally involved will not be good for me. I also have a tendency to get frustrated with people if they don't think or feel the same way I do. For example, one of my students might struggle in a class and want to drop out. Another one of my students could believe that they are right in arguments that they get in with their roommates because they have different opinions. I have a very optimistic way of thinking and it might be challenging for me to not get frustrated at my students for not "seeing the light at the end of the tunnel" or seeing the bigger picture in situations.

3. I believe that passion, diversity, and professionalism are the most important values in a peer mentor relationship. I also believe that all of these values reflect off of each other and can be used together to build the best relationship possible. First, I believe that passion is the most important. For one, if I don't absolutely love or care about my job, it's going to be hard to do it. Also, if my students see how much effort I put into my job and our relationship, they might also do the same. I believe that having knowledge in diversity will also help build a peer mentor relationship. It is important to understand where people come from, their religious and cultural believes, and their personalities. Acknowledging that everyone is unique in their own little ways will be beneficial in multiple aspects of the relationship. Lastly, it will be important for me to be professional. I will care about my mentee's like they are my own close friends, but I have to remember that being a mentor is my job and I have to uphold the guidelines that the SSS program has put into place for us.

2 - Lions, Tigers, and Bears! Oh My!

Ethics and Boundaries

•  The role I feel most aligns with my leadership style is Learning Coach.  When I first came to NAU, I was like a deer in headlights.  I did not get the opportunity to have a peer mentor, but do have a great advisor who I consider my mentor.  When one transitions from high school or even community college, nothing can prepare them for university life.  Before I met my mentor, I was not involved in any school activities and struggling in my classes.  I did not know how to go about getting tutoring.  I did take initiative to meet other students in my class, exchange email, and offer my help to others with concepts that I grasped and they did not.  I have always loved helping people.  The role of Learning Coach best suites me because I believe anyone is capable of reaching their full potential.  Some people just need to hear the encouragement from someone else.  I see myself as being that person.  Helping a mentee identify their strengths helps them achieve their full potential making not only them a better student but myself.       
• A risk I can see occurring as a Learning Coach would be my mentee become too dependent.  Let's say I am helping them study for an upcoming test; are they going to expect me to help them study for every test for every class.  I would like to teach them some helpful study habits so they can apply on any other tests or exams that come up in their classes, but have me as their own study tool.  This article was very informative and I cannot think of another risk that was not covered.  Then again, this will be my first time being a peer mentor and I'm sure there are risks that were not mentioned that experienced peer mentors would know of.·        
• In my opinion three values that I feel are of utmost importance in a peer mentorship would be professionalism, proactivity, and flexibility.  Professionalism; a peer mentor should be able to communicate in a polite and respectful manner.  Peer mentors must maintain accurate documentation and keep their mentees updated.  We do not want to hurt our mentees academically because we slacked off.  Peer mentors should also attend all required workshops and meeting.  Cancelling on mentees does not make a good impression on a mentee.  Proactivity; many students don't seek help when they need it.  I was one of them.  A peer mentor should be proactive.  Some examples include; coming prepared to meetings, adjusting to meet mentees needs, and keeping track of events/calendar.  Flexibility; I know we are students' ourselves but we should be able to accommodate to our mentees as much as we can.  Each of our mentees are going to have different schedules, study techniques, learning styles, and personalities.  A part of our job is adapting to what works for them and helping them be successful.