My time as a Peer Mentor with the First Generation Freshmen program really helped to shape my future career goals. I joined the program because I was a scholarship recipient and utilized a peer mentor during my first year. Originally, I merely saw the position as a way to kill time and add to my resume. However, by the time I finished the program, I had a new love for working with students to help them navigate the college environment.

The job description was not at all technical. I was tasked with introducing first-year students to the college experience. Sometimes we talked about class selection and different skills like test/note-taking. We would also discuss their plans for the next semester and gave them tips on how to manage life in college. In this way, the bulk of the job was simply acting as a resource and giving an ear to students to help them feel more confident during their first year.

The other half of the job was more of an administrative role. There I answered phone calls, took inventory of supplies, and helped run campus-wide events. This introduced me to the wide variety of on-campus resources colleges have to offer and pushed me to get involved in a number of different ways.

Even though the job was generally low-maintenance, it served as the anchor which allowed me to obtain a number of other positions focused on helping students be successful.