Dejene is a sophomore Biology major who enjoys occasional drawing and a lot of dancing!
Dejene is an expert when it comes to effective time management and she used this skill to excel as a peer mentor. She sheds some light on her experience as an FYE Peer Mentor below.
What is your personal definition of a mentor? Mentors have a huge responsibility in the lives of their freshmen mentees. Mentors must be knowledgeable about all of the resources and happenings around Georgia State. Most of all, they must have an energetic and positive attitude!
What was the best part of serving as a peer mentor? The part I love most about being a mentor is knowing that I may have positively changed the outcome of someone's first college experience. I know when I was a freshman, I felt too intimidated to talk to my professor about certain issues that I was having. As mentors we have the advantage to alleviate that pressure and make their transition to college a lot smoother.
How did you balance school work, campus involvement and the peer mentor position? Two words: time management! There is no way I could balance all of my obligations without an agenda and a daily, weekly and monthly plan. Maintaining your priorities and taking time to reward yourself after an exhausting week is also a key factor. If I wasn't involved in other activities other than school, I would honestly feel as though something was missing in my life! It really teaches you the importance of having important responsibilities.
Would you recommend this position to a student seeking a leadership position? Of course! This job is not only very flexible, but it is extremely rewarding in the end. This job involves a lot of paperwork and it can take up a lot of hours over the course of a week, but the relationships that you build with your mentees makes it all worthwhile.
What piece of advice would you offer a student seeking to be a peer mentor? Being a peer mentor is a true commitment. You must be passionate about helping others and possibly impacting lives in order to reach your full potential. The amount of time and effort you put into this job is going to give you the most rewarding results.
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