During my Freshman year of college I experienced a lot of homesickness, which is not unusual for most first years. However, during my fall semester three people I was close to died suddenly. I spent the better part of the year I drove back and forth to Tucson and Phoenix attending funerals. It wasn't really people that challenged me but the heaviness of this type of situation. I started doing badly in my classes because I was overwhelmed with stress and mourning--it was my community mentor who finally talked to me and through sharing her own experiences I got back to doing what I could to get my grades up.
I think this experience could help a mentee if they were going through a tough time because of the death of family or close friends. By sharing my experiences with them maybe they would be able to see more clearly how school and the staff at NAU could help them cope with their loss. To make it positive for the student I would focus on relating to them and on how they could get help on campus.
I think that although this was a tough experience for you, you were able to grow and learn from it. As a result you are a stronger person and will be able to help your mentees deal with homesickness and tough situations better. Freshman year of college can be rough because we are moving away from our families and the things we know to start a new life. The SSS program gives guidance to students that are struggling and scared of college so I think you will be a great asset for your mentees because you have the experiences necessary to help them get through rough times in their lives!
ReplyDelete