Fulbright Honors
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Peer Mentor Program
The purpose of the Fulbright Honors Peer Mentoring program is to ease the transition from high school to college by helping first year honors students discover new information, plan for their future and identify an effective role model. Fulbright Honors freshmen are paired up with Fulbright Honors upperclassmen. The student will meet once a week with their mentors to talk about any difficulties or changes going on in the mentee’s life. The mentor offers any advice and insight they have while giving support and encouragement, and appropriately refers students to other campus resources when they need it.
Associate Director of Fulbright Honors Jill Wheeler created this program to help our students make the transition from high school to college and to increase the university’s retention of our honors freshmen whether in Fulbright or in some other degree program on campus. Over the past six years Fulbright Honors has had an entering freshman class between 440-480. Out of those numbers 100+ fail to make a 3.5 or higher in their first semester and roughly 75 are removed after their spring semester because they are unable to raise their GPA in order to continue in honors after two semesters. Even more opt out for various reasons along the way and fail to graduate with honors. Research shows that first-year students who actively engage with a peer mentor have an 80% success rate for transitioning into their major and achieving a decent GPA their first year. With additional guidance from students who are like themselves we hope to increase our retention numbers of orientation to graduation for Fulbright Honors students.
SUPPORTING FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS
All students at the University of Arkansas take a University Perspectives course their first year to teach them important skills for success and connect them to campus. The FCHP Peer Mentor Program was created by Fulbright Honors Associate Director Jill Wheeler as a part of her University Perspectives course in order to support first year honors students in Fulbright College.
CREATING LASTING CONNECTIONS
One of the benefits of the Peer Mentor Program is long-lasting connections. Your Peer Mentor is someone who has been in your shoes, and will be able to help you with the all of the successes and struggles of your first years. Many of our students who go through the Peer Mentor Program go on to become Peer Mentors themselves!
PROMOTING LONG-TERM HONORS SUCCESS
There is more to getting an honors degree than taking honors classes and getting good grades. Students must also conduct undergraduate research and are encouraged to take advantage of all the incredible honors opportunities on campus! The Peer Mentor Program helps connect students to all of the opportunities the Honors College has to offer, and prepares students for their future honors goals!
Are you a first-year honors student ready to join the Peer Mentor Program?