Week 1

A peer mentor has a lot more to its title than it looks. It is more of a process of taking steps to become a person in which the term peer mentor defines. The book defines a peer mentor as a student who has learned from experience and has developed skills to successfully guide other students through college.

In addition to taking the steps to complete the process of becoming a peer mentor, you must also have the desire and qualities necessary within to be a successful peer mentor. In everything people do they must have qualities to carry out tasks. They can vary based on the task being carried out, but there is always a foundation of qualities like responsibility, honesty, loyalty, reliability, trustworthiness, etc.

The qualities I possess that fit the general definition of a peer mentor would create more of a description rather than simply a list of things. I have had experiences that could be beneficial to others I mentor because I have learned from every experience. When developing a great deal of knowledge from experience, it makes you wise in ways that you cannot simply learn through a class or out of a textbook. My experiences so far in life have come from all extremes. I’ve had terrible times and I’ve had great times, each of them that I can take and figure into some new experience for myself.

I have always loved to help people. I thrive on being able to get a person somewhere they want to be, but can’t get there on their own. As a peer mentor, I can be a ‘go-to’ person for my mentees in all their times of trouble. As a junior at a university like Iowa State, I believe I have the excess knowledge I need in order to give helpful advice that can be trusted. Trust is the foundation I plan to build in all of my relationships with my mentees. By building a foundation to a successful relationship, I can create a truly amazing first experience for my mentees as they step into a new adventure.