BLUEprint to Success Roberts, 1

Ways of Mentoring the impact of Peer Support in Student Success

BLUEprint to Success

Natasha Roberts

The Pennsylvania State University

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Freedom is power; it is exciting, terrifying and full of opportunities. For many,

their first taste of freedom is not until emerging adulthood in which many choose to

attend college or pursue their dreams. Incoming freshman have the power to define

themselves, their future and utilize their resources. Learning how to adjust to the

colleges culture and find ones niche can be overwhelming, especially as a student of

color attending a Predominately White Institution. Since the largest most influential body

on campus is the students, peer mentoring is essential. A peer mentor is someone who

guides, motivates and supports another student in their pursuit towards success. Thus, this

narrative will highlight how peer mentoring impacts the successful academic and social

acclimation of students to a university.

BLUEprint is a peer mentoring program at The Pennsylvania State University for

students of color that assists in the academic and social acclimation to campus through

events ranging from enrichment sessions, service opportunities to social events. As an out

of state student of color, the guidance and support from my peers was imperative to my

success. As a mentee, the programs enrichment sessions provided the necessary

knowledge about professionalism and graduate school, which influenced my decision to

pursue a career in Human Resource. In addition, within the organization, we are divided

into families and the family aspect was most influential to me. My mentor and assigned

family helped me prosper both socially and academically, providing the support to

continue pushing through my courses in order to become a Schreyer Honors scholar and

gave me the confidence to apply for the executive board position. Upon becoming a

mentor myself, my mentor and I have continued to strengthen our relationship I continue

to seek her guidance.

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Mentoring has become a part of my identity and is one of the most fulfilling

aspects of my college experience. As a Mentee Coordinator and mentor, I treated every

mentee as my own. I wanted them to receive the same type of support I did as a mentee

and hoped they would follow in my steps in supporting those outside of their assigned

family. It has built my confidence and pushes me to work harder with the knowledge that

others are now looking to me for guidance; it is rewarding to see the growth of my

mentee and other members because of the contributions I make within the organization.

As a mentor, I learned the importance of building a strong foundation with my

mentee so there could be some trust and understanding in the relationship. At first,

building a relationship with my mentee was a challenge since we did not share common

interests, but I did not give up on her. I took the challenge and did what I knew would be

bestI listened and built trust. By understanding her needs as a mentor, I was able to

provide not only guidance but also support her as a friend that helped ease her anxiety

and stress of being a new student. I am proud to say she not only found her niche but has

also gained a leadership position.

BLUEprint is unique in the sense that it is centered on family yet professional.

Additionally, because BLUEprint caters to a diverse body of students, the inclusiveness

of all identities allow members to be true and unique to whom they truly are without the

extra outside pressure of having to conform to cultural and societal norms they do not

identify with. For instance, I facilitated our open program this year called Us and Them

where attendees were able to explore different group stereotypes and ways to debunk

them to create a more inclusive community of color at Penn State. Transferring my

increased awareness, I am able to advocate, set an example and make a bigger impact to
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the larger community. Without being a member of BLUEprint, I would not know what I

am capable of, the influence I have over others and would not have felt comfortable at

Penn State. The importance of peer-mentoring programs is indescribable. Peer mentoring

can occur unconsciously. It is incredible to see the extent where peers can genuinely

influence one another and concurrently the self-growth one can also develop from it. The

relationships established may transcend many obstacles throughout and beyond the

college years. Overall, the leadership skills, increased involvement on campus and

personal development from my experience of being a mentor has built my blueprint for

success, as well as many others.