Peer Leaders at California State University, Los Angeles serve first-year students by providing pivotal academic and social support. PeerForward in College trains and employs Peer Leaders to ease the high school to college transition for first-generation students.
Nestled in the Academic Success Center, 44 Peer Leaders gathered to learn the skills they would need for their new job, being a Peer Leader.
PeerForward in College at California State University, LA launched in 2020 under the leadership of Andrew Long, Executive Director for the Center for Academic Success. Since its inception, the program’s mission has been to increase persistence for first-year first-generation college students through peer-to-peer-based advising and mentorship.
“At Cal State LA, PeerForward in College and the partnership we have, allow us to deliver to students all the elements of what they need to be successful and realize their own brilliance. As a campus, as an institution, and as leaders in this institution – we have a professional and educational obligation to provide an environment so Cal State LA students can truly thrive. PeerForward in College and the work our Peer Leaders do is a pivotal and essential part of the experiences that we have an obligation to offer. It allows us to meet students holistically.” Andrew Long – Executive Director, Center for Academic Success
On Cal State LA’s campus, 57% of students are first-generation college students (71% of all students are Latino) and their university is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. PeerForward in College is one of many pillars of support that Cal State LA offers to guide students through earning their college degree.
Peer Leaders began their session by reviewing the expectations of the program, which is led by Academic Coaching Coordinators Elehna Austin and Maria Molina alongside PeerForward Coaches Loubert Senatus and Tim Spicer. Together, they defined how to find success as a Peer Leader mentor.
“I believe the most successful Peer Leaders bring their own experiences to the table. Not only in life but how they’re navigating through college on their own; they realize how much of a challenge it was for them initially and I think that’s why they are so willing to help other students. They want to help others hopefully avoid what they went through.” – Maria Molina, Academic Coaching Coordinators, Center for Academic Success
From there, Peer Leaders quickly dove into a session that strengthens leadership skills through vulnerability. By discovering their connection to the mission and how their unique skillset can benefit their mentees, Peer Leaders like Jelsy found that their connection to Peer Leadership was a desire to help others through obstacles she experienced as a freshman, “When I was a freshman, I was like the first in my family to go to a four-year university. I was really scared and I just wanted other people – first-year students – to have an easier time than I did navigating university. Just seeing my mentees reaching out to me and seeing how I’m actually helping has been really rewarding.”
Teamwork is important to Peer Leadership. Each week Peer Leaders meet in select committees to discuss and prepare for upcoming campus events. As leaders of their select committees, veteran Peer Leaders like Lays offer important insights on how their cohort members can find success with their mentees. Lays, captain of the Peer Update and Student Help (PUSH) committee which compiles resource guides for Peer Leaders and their mentees, noted that “through patience and understanding, you get more responses from your mentees.”
Before beginning the academic year, Peer Leaders took the opportunity to reflect on why they chose to work with PeerForward. “I was just thinking how this job was one of the first things I did that was separated from my parents, so I got a sense of self. I chose to do this for myself. This job has helped me expand my horizons a bit and seeing that people actually benefit from it solidifies the dream I have for myself of becoming a teacher.” Mei, Cal State LA Peer Leader.
For many, career exploration was an unexpected benefit of becoming a Peer Leader,
“At the beginning, I thought it was just going to be a job, but I found something in myself. I’m actually thinking about my career right now because of this job, that’s the impact that it’s made on me. Through this job I found confidence, I didn’t know I was going to get this satisfaction when I help every student. This job is going to define my whole career.” Naidy, Cal State LA Peer Leader.
Peer Leaders will support more than 1,800 first-year students this year. We look forward to their continued progress and success as a PeerForward in College partner.
