NDSU student Matthew Hansen, right, is a peer mentor in the College of Science and Math peer advising program.
At NDSU, students build close relationships with faculty and fellow students.
The College of Science and Math is helping students build meaningful peer-to-peer relationships with a new advising and mentorship program.
“At the College of Science and Math, we put student success first,” said Nadeje Alexandre, assistant dean for student success in the college.
Alexandre says the peer mentoring program meets her four pillars of student success: student development, communication, advising and diversity and inclusion.
“The result of implementing these four pillars is accessing potential in the students, fostering their growth and creating leaders who take initiative,” she said.
Students from throughout the college, representing a variety of majors, can volunteer to be a mentor. Mentors go through training to understand academic and personal support to enhance student learning.
The program provides valuable skills to the mentors and mentees.
“Peer advisors assist students with the transition to college, they listen to students needs and concerns and they share their own experiences to help students relate and make connections,” Alexandre said. “Our goal is that it enhances the overall college experience for all students.”
Matthew Hansen, a senior mathematics and physics major from Fargo, North Dakota, joined the peer mentorship program to help other students.
“It is tough to know all the resources that the College of Science and Math and NDSU have, to give students a chance to succeed in their higher education pursuits,” Hansen said. “And while referring resources is a big part of being a peer mentor, using our own experiences to give insight to students is fundamental to our success as mentors.”
Peer mentors are there to support students in their classes, but their primary goal is building a bridge between students and on-campus resources. The relationships create a lasting impact on student success both personally and academically.
“I am most excited to have a positive impact on a student’s college life as well as develop the social and critical thinking skills that come with mentoring individuals,” Hanson said.
