At the beginning of each school year at Murray State, we hold a weekend-long event called Great Beginnings where new students, including freshmen and transfer students, take part in activities and meetings in a small group with an upperclassmen leader. The goal of Great Beginnings is to get these new students out of their rooms and socializing with other students, all while getting to know the campus and the community a little better. As a nervous freshmen, I really valued this experience as it gave me a reason to leave my dorm room before classes started to find some familiar faces. As an upperclassmen, however, this experience was very rewarding as I got to be a mentor that freshmen looked to for guidance.
(Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash)
Being a mentor isn’t easy; schools make sure to weed out those who won’t take the position seriously. The start of this process required submitting an application and completing a round of interviews in order to be selected from the pool of students interested. The interview was relatively standard, even though I was unsure what questions would be asked. The easy ones included topics such as “What’s your major?” or “Why do you want to be a Great Beginnings Leader?”. The harder questions were the more introspective ones including “Describe your personality” and “How well do you work with others?”. I was open and honest about my reserved personality and general uneasiness regarding collaborating with people. Although, my forthcoming about my weaknesses and the ways in which I can move past made up for them in the interviewer’s eyes, I believe.
Once all of the leaders were selected and the new fall semester rolled around, it was time for training. Teamwork exercises, lectures regarding Title IX, and learning solutions to possible problems were just some of the events that took place in our three days of training. But, we got free shirts and meals, so that made sitting through training more bearable. All of the training hyped up the anticipation for the freshmen and new students to arrive. I, and all the other leaders, were anxious to meet the students on the other end of the texts and emails we had been sending throughout the summer. What were they like? Were they going to like me? Were they even going to show up to the Great Beginnings events? These were questions everyone in the room felt.
But, the timeline of events flew by in the blink of an eye. Just like that, all of the bright-eyed freshmen were now set free onto campus, ready for whatever the semester brought them. I still check in every once in a while if I run into them on campus. I believe it’s always nice to see a friendly face on campus. My biggest goal was to hammer in that I was a resource that was easily-accessible and a lot less intimidating than any adult working in an office. I’m just a normal college student trying to find my way as well. I think that’s why student mentors are a true success on campuses. When you’re having a problem, who’s the first person you turn to? Usually, one of your peers.
As a student mentor, the mark I make on campus is a little bit different than some others. I may not be remembered for having top grades, being involved in the most clubs, or scoring a winning goal, but I know I’m making a difference in the college experience for the incoming students. What matters most to a student mentor is seeing their students succeed without their help but knowing they’ll still be there for them if needed.