I interned for UNLV's College of Liberal Arts as a peer mentor for PSY 200 students. The picture above is of the College of Liberal Arts Spring 2022 peer mentor cohort. As a peer mentor, I was assigned over 50 mentees this semester. My duties included holding individual meetings with each student, holding group meetings with multiple students to build community, providing emotional support, and referring students to campus resources.
To be successful in this internship, I had to understand how to communicate through technology. Aside from bi-weekly team meetings, all communication with my mentees was online. I had to learn how to use different messaging, social media, and video meeting apps, as well as Canvas Teaching Assistant settings. As an aspiring advocate coordinator in anti-violence work, this internship allowed me to build the leadership and people skills I need to succeed. Additionally, I was able to practice professionalism and learn how to communicate through various methods. I also learned about how I can use a range of communication methods to increase mentee or client engagement. As a psychology major, this internship ties into my studies because of some of the issues that arise while mentoring other college students. Many students struggle with mental health issues, and it is important to identify these struggles and take the appropriate course of action. Moreover, it is important to understand social psychology principles about group dynamics, which can help increase engagement in group meetings and other types of community involvement.
While this internship is not the exact same, I am still interested in working as an advocate coordinator for an anti-violence program. Education requirements vary by program, but I at least need a Bachelor's degree in psychology, sociology, public health, or another related field. Some positions may require a Master's degree in public health, social work, or a related field. In the meantime, internships like this one will help me get to where I would like to be. Mentorship and leadership experiences, as well as experience in anti-violence work, are incredibly valuable. In the future, I will prioritize gaining more leadership experience. I can even gain this experience through the anti-violence work I am already part of, which will essentially kill two birds with one stone. For example, I may choose to apply for an organization's e-board position, or I can seek out positions that involve more casework than I already do now.
Hi Jacquelyn! I was also a peer mentor for COLA this semester. I greatly enjoyed working with you and everyone else in our peer mentor team. Communicating with our mentees was they key to success! I'm glad you found different ways to coordinate with them to hold your individual and group meetings. Mentoring is a great skill to have, especially for the field you wish to go into! I think you'll do a great job working as an anti-violence advocate as your passion for the field is very evident! I wish you luck for your future endeavors. Thanks again for helping make the team this semester such a fun environment!
Hi Jacquelyn! As a peer mentor myself I also had to learn how to use different technology applications like calendly and canvas with TA access. It was definitely a barrier that I had to overcome, but in the end, I am glad I got to learn how to use them efficiently so I could use them for future situations. I also agree with you on how mentorship and leadership experiences are very valuable, I think these skills can be used in any career!