Peer Mentoring

Transcript

Next, we’re visiting the Nest to meet the one and only Tiffany Chin. Tiffany is an interdisciplinary studies major and a student peer mentor with the ACES. SUU is known for its outstanding retention rate, which means students like to stay at SUU to finish their degree. Resources like the Nest and peer mentors make SUU a place where students feel like they have the support to succeed. Take it away, Tiffany.

– Hey everyone, before I came to SUU, I hoNestly thought college might not be for me. I came in as a first-generation student without really knowing what college would entail or what resources were available to help. It felt like no matter what I tried, I couldn’t get it to work for me. And I was really unhappy. I decided to take a semester off of school and I toured almost every university in the state of Utah as a last ditch effort to find a place I could make college work. I was immediately drawn to SUU. People were happy here. From the beginning, I felt that people took a genuine interest in me in a way that’s just not possible at bigger universities. I remember during the tour wanting to meet with an academic advisor, but not having an appointment. I awkwardly kind of stumbled over to where their offices are and was immediately invited in to sit down for a full fledged appointment, something that would have never been the case at my previous institution. The culture of SUU is very much based around that mentality that students come first. Our door is always open and we care about you as a person, which is exactly what I needed. One of the biggest resources on campus that demonstrates that culture, is the ACES program. ACES are peer mentors for incoming freshmen who work in the Nest, which serves as a one-stop shop for any and all student questions. It’s crazy to think that attending a new student orientation once could teach you everything you need to know about campus or about adjusting to college life. You’re learning how to study at a college level, how to live on your own, how to balance a budget, and how to balance work and school. Who better to learn this from than a current student who’s been through it before. You come in as a freshman, and there are things you simply would never know without the help of your ACE. I can tell you firsthand as a peer mentor, it is so much more than connecting freshmen to campus. ACES really are in the business of changing lives. You become a friend of these students. As an ACE, I’ve been able to foster connection with students to where, they text me to tell me they passed their exam, or tell me they’re struggling with a roommate, or ask me for date ideas. There’s really no other way to say it, but I’m honored to have been that person for any student. So whether it’s your ACE, your professor, or an academic advisor, people genuinely care about you here, that’s undeniable. College at SUU is so much more than simply going to class and coming home to do homework. It is been gaining mentors in my professors, getting a job on campus and working with my best friends. I really have created a family away from home here. From someone who thought that college might not be for me, who almost dropped out completely before coming to SUU, I wanna say college is for you. Not only can you make it work, but college can be the best time of your life. SUU has been that for me. Alex, back to you.

– Tiffany, thank you. It’s wonderful to see so many resources and support systems are available to students at SUU and the lifelong connections that are built from them. Thank you for dedicating your time to helping others succeed, that was awesome. Cheers Tiffany.