Inside a Mentor's Mind

 

Valentine's Day event in Lycoming Hall

Walking into Lycoming Hall, home of the honors college, there is a sound of chatter and clanging being heard from the fishbowl, as known as, the lobby. Two peer mentors are setting up an event for their mentees and other passing-by students. Jay stands at around 5 foot 3. His gray and black beanie is covering most of his short, black curly hair. The beanie compliments his gray and white striped sweater. Jay, and another mentor, whose name is unknown, are laying out stickers, colored construction paper, and packs of freshly opened sharpies. 

    Jay questioned the mentor, "Do you think that this is enough?" as he looked through the box on the table. "I don't want to have less snacks than we should have." 

    The mentor replies, with a warm smile, "No, I think what we have is perfectly fine. I can just grab some more if we need."

Jay is an extremely caring, gentle, and nurturing individual. He is always looking out for students, even if they are not his own mentees. "Each peer mentor gets a batch of mentees who are going through their first semesters of college. We plan social and academic events for them so that they can talk to other people and learn more about the university and what requirements they have to fulfill [for the LC they are in],'' Jay smoothly explains. The words come out of his mouth so naturally; he doesn't even need to take a second to think about what he is going to say. He has a sort of calming demeanor when he talks. "We also have to do one-on-ones with them every month just to make sure they are doing well and keeping up academically, mentally, and socially, and to answer any questions they might have."

To become a mentor, one typically has to complete an application and get through an interview with the director of the Learning Communities. However, that was not Jay's case. “I was asked to do it in the summer, which is a little later than most people,” he laughed. "I did not have to do an application or an interview. They just needed some more mentors and since I had the experience, they let me in." He is very diligent when it comes to his work. He always ensures that he is available for his mentees whenever they need him. 

The purpose of being a mentor may vary from person to person. “I personally really like it when my mentees are doing good, doing well, academically and socially. That’s a different threshold for each person, but I really like it when you can see that there has been progress made,” Jay expressed with a charismatic tone. “Not necessarily because of myself, but just checking in and having someone explain how their classes are better or having someone say they are looking into mentoring because I really helped them. Stuff like that makes me happy to be a part of the process.” 

A great mentor does not do the job strictly for their own benefit. “It's easier for me to relate to people around the same age as me," he continued softly. "Obviously, I have to keep it professional to some degree, but it's easier to connect I think for a job like this when you have to honestly ask how they're doing." It is not always easy being a peer mentor, though. There are occasions where problems do arise. "There has been a weird thing where people showed up to doors when they weren't invited,” he started. Obviously, there is some confidentiality when it comes to this job, so he did not dive into super deep specifics. “I did have to,” he trailed off. “It was hard. Administratively, there is a line when a person is being a little weird and when the person needs to have administrative action taken upon them.” Even when there are challenges that might be extremely difficult, the job is still highly rewarding. Getting through the tough times are important when it comes to being a mentor. It is almost comparable to a real-life therapy session. There will be ups and downs, but the mentor will always be there for their mentees no matter what.

There are some guidelines that mentors need to follow in order to do the job professionally. One must complete a form after every meeting with their mentee that summarizes what was said during the conversation. If nothing is concerning to the mentor, then they won't report it. If a problem did arise where the mentor thought their mentee was in danger of harming themselves or another person, then they are mandated reporters.  “I like to push hypotheticals so that I don’t have to report it unless it is an actual issue that I think will be bad," Jay uttered somberly. It is easier to talk about issues in hypotheticals, according to Jay, because it helps the mentee feel better about expressing their issues or concerns.

Aside from the job itself, there are many benefits of being a mentor when it comes to future employment, especially in Jay's case. “I am a psych major, so learning how to communicate and help people is a huge, big thing to be able to do. I'm hopefully going to doctoral school after this," he exclaimed excitedly, with a beaming smile spread across his face. "When I was interviewed over the winter break, that was one of the main things that I brought up. How I am already able to talk and communicate with at least people my own age,” he laughed, “about like mental health and things like that. It is really beneficial for counseling aspect.” Jay hopes to continue on this path of helping people. He hopes that his mentees will carry on the legacy that peer mentors have: to make a difference in the world.