SSS Peer Mentor
5 March 2015
Peer Mentoring
As a Peer Mentor there are many roles that we play in a students first year experience. Some of these are being a role model to them or someone they can look up to and feel like they can always go to. We are here to guide them and help them with their transition into college and its our responsibility as a Peer Mentor to make sure that they are getting the help that they need and that they feel like they can always come to us. Its our job to build a good relationship with these students and really get to to know them and their different backgrounds. We are to be an assistance and provide valuable resources that may help them but also give them advice on certain situations based off our own experiences.
I believe some of my strengths are a Peer Mentor that can really help a first year student is that I am a first year generation college student, I have had a Peer Mentor my first year here at NAU, and I feel like I can really help them with their transition in college with majors and getting connected. Both of my parents didn't go to college so I am first in my family so I really feel like I can guide students in their transition to make sure that they really can succeed and be successful. I also feel like I can personally sit down and talk to them about challenges that I had to overcome my first year and things that I found really helpful that my Mentor tried to help me with. Also, being a freshman right now with a Peer Mentor I feel as if I can put myself in their shoes on situations that they are dealing with right now and what my personal experiences were and what I learned. Last, I was orginally a Bio-medical Major my first semester of college and really struggled with transition into college, being the first one in my family to go to college, then also dealing with such a hard major and not feeling prepared enough or not knowing what resources there were out there to help me. I feel like I can really give them some good advice and resources that help me get through such a hard time with schooling my first semester and also with switching majors now I feel like I can also be assistance to that too. I also feel like I am very outgoing, a good listener, patient, kind, loving, and overall very caring to others. I feel like these characters that I portray can really help me connect with my students and make them overall comfortable to come to me about anything or problems they may be facing.
Some areas that I believe I can improve on with being a Peer Mentor is not being to shy when getting in front of my peers. I feel like this has always been a challenge of mine with students the same age as me but I really do feel like with working on my major as Elementary Education that I have really grown in this area and continue to grow. Another challenge of mine is definitely time management. My schedule has always been so hectic and making sure I have enough to fit everything in and make time for myself has always been a struggle of mine but I have continued to work on this and I have dramatically improved throughout my freshman year. look forward to starting this job by being a SSS Peer Mentor and really helping first year experience students transition into college.
I like the way you put it, being a peer mentor, as a sort of assistance and providing resources. We are here as a guide, not as someone who will do all the work for them, because in the end that isn't really helping. I'm a first generation college student as well, and my sister will be once she starts this next academic year. I believe we really do have a significant outlook and experiences that will help future students.
ReplyDeleteBri,
ReplyDeleteWith your experience as a first generation student and having had a peer mentor, you will do a great job at helping find out where they need to go and what they need to do next. Also, your attributes of being very outgoing, a good listener, patient, kind, loving, and overall very caring to others will make you into an excellent mentor.
With your concerns of getting up in front of groups, it's quite fun. The first meeting may be nerve wracking, but remembering that you are here to help your mentees will help you overcome the nerves. Also, remember to laugh at yourself if you ever mess up! You have had no problem at speaking up in our group meetings, so I am pretty sure you will get the hang of it rather quick!
I completely emphasize with how you feel about public speaking. Ana, your advice is helpful. I do agree that focusing on your mentees will help. I think I will definitely try and remember this when I'm working.
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