Expressing compassion through...
quest peer mentorship
In the summer of 2020, I received the news that I was selected to become a QUEST Peer Mentor for the 2020-2021 school year. Through the PM training, PM bonding, and being an individual that first-year students looked up to for guidance and support, I had goals to empower, inspire, and care for my QUESTers. In order to accomplish those goals, I established standards for myself to become a mentor that employed empathetic listening skills and attentiveness through individualized contacts and taking interest into my QUESTers' lives and aspirations.
my quest 2018 experience
I came into QUEST/BHLP with vast amounts of not only leadership experience from high school but also leadership theory. In fact, the Organizational Leadership major and minor had a pamphlet from one of the conferences that they organized and I was in some of the pictures! True Colors, MICEE, and mission statements were all covered in my Global Contexts for Leadership pathway in high school. While the learning was not new, applying the learning was the challenge I was ready for. After QUEST, I organized some of my QUEST friends into a two-month long project to organize a campus wide-event called Free Hugs! Day!
quest 2020-2021
Although this QUEST was mainly over Zoom, I learned how to apply the organizational leadership skills that bolstered team dynamics. We identified values, developed a team flag (shown on the right!), set up a GroupMe, and check-in on each other. I was able to send weekly emails to get my QUESTers engaged and on-top of the virtual events occurring at UD. Although QUEST is over for them, I never stopped being their Peer Mentor for their second-year of undergrad. For three of the girls, they are Exercise Science majors so I sent them Anatomy & Physiology resources to help them prepare for practicals and exams. I helped one of my QUESTers locate an Organic Chemistry tutor using my networks and helped prepare another QUESTer for an interview and she was able to solidify the position! I continue keep in contact with the group to ensure that they feel supported for their academics.
LEAP 2021
When QUEST rebranded as LEAP for the 2021 school year, I was excited for the opportunity to have the in-person leadership development. Not only was this an opportunity to serve as a peer mentor but also an opportunity to exercise all my BHLP knowledge. In my role as a Peer Mentor managing a team of 7 first-year students, I assumed proactivity of considerations of the different schedules people had by giving a three- to four-week notice of monthly plans and months-in-advance reminders of events through weekly emails. Throughout LEAP, I presented a full force of energy dedicated to contributing a fun and memorable experience. Every week, I send out emails to remind my team of deadlines and opportunities relevant to their interests. While I made contact sheets the year prior, I was more intentional and diligent in recording my interactions, having them listed in an excel sheet and writing more detailed one-on-one reflections to further detail QUESTer growth. This year was special because I was able to serve as a mentor for two commuters and I was able to empathize with their worries about making connections on campus while working, commuting, and learning.
