Audience
Help make next semester go well for our new first years and transfers---apply to be a Peer Mentor for LEAD 101/301 (formerly CORE 101/301)! Learn how to be an effective mentor and earn 3 credits by working closely with LEAD instructors and being a part of the Peer Mentor Practicum (LEAD 401/402).
Applications are due Monday, April 28. Submit your application here. For more details, keep reading.
Peer Mentors are assigned to a LEAD 101 (First Year Seminar) or LEAD 301 (Transfer Seminar). Peer Mentors serve as student guides for new students; they support first years and transfers as they acclimate to academics at SMCM.
Being a Peer Mentor is a great way to take what you’ve learned about being a student at St. Mary’s and pay it forward. It’s also an excellent opportunity to develop leadership skills, and to explore new ideas about group dynamics and the practices that lead to effective learning.
Applicants will submit their materials via this form. Requested materials include a current resume and a statement (no more than one page).
Your statement should explain how your experiences at St. Mary's-- including your own experience as a CORE or LEAD seminar student-- have prepared you to be a Peer Mentor. You will also be asked to identify a faculty member who will serve as a reference, and to state your GPA and areas of academic interest. If you have been asked by an instructor to serve as their Peer Mentor, you’ll have a chance to enter this information as well. In addition, please note that I will review your SMCM records during the selection process; by submitting an application, you are agreeing to grant me such access.
If selected, you will attend the LEAD 101/301 sections to which you are assigned; for LEAD 101, that includes the seminar’s first meeting, which occurs on the Friday of Orientation Week, and an in-person training session on the Sunday before the regular start of classes. All Peer Mentors should plan to be on campus early enough to attend these meetings. Additionally, Peer Mentors will participate in a Zoom training session in mid-August.
Peer Mentors will also be registered for the 3-credit Peer Mentoring / Advanced Peer Mentoring Practicum, LEAD 401/402. LEAD 401/402 meets periodically during the semester, in addition to the initial training sessions mentioned above. Meetings will happen once or twice a month on Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 11:30 AM-12:30 PM.
The deadline for submitting your application is Monday, April 28. As noted above, application materials should be submitted via this form. If you are selected but already have a full schedule of courses, we will work with you to make it possible for you to register for LEAD 401/402.
Please let me know if you have any questions about this process. Thank you in advance for considering this important campus role!
Brian O'Sullivan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English and Chair of LEAD Seminars