Special Edition Spring 2024: The impact of the Peer Mentor Initiative
By Najma Hussein
The Peer Mentor Initiative administered by the Center for Intercultural Development matches first-year students with sophomore, junior or senior mentors to provide them with guidance and support throughout their initial academic year. I participated as a mentee during my freshman year and loved my mentor. Having a mentor proved invaluable, as they acted as a reliable source for feedback and insights into their passions and prospective career paths. My mentor also helped me develop my leadership skills and provided me with so many opportunities.
Naomi Yangathia ‘24 (Marketing and Business Administration) said she originally wanted to be a mentee but wasn’t able to due to a change between departments. She was later able to apply to be a mentor, however.
“I wasn’t connected to the diversity here at St. Kate’s because the classes I’m in are predominantly white,” Yangathia said, “so I didn’t have that much connection to other people of color, which is why I applied.”
Although St. Kate’s is a predominantly white school, CID created this mentoring program for students of color to feel like they could belong here.
Yangathia is a mentor to Sandy Blong ‘27 (Marketing and Digital Strategy), who is glad to have joined a program like this here at St. Kate’s as an incoming freshman.
“When I decided on St. Kate’s, I really wanted to be a part of a program like this,” Blong said, “just because being a student of color, especially when I was in high school, I went to a very predominantly white high school, so just having someone like an older- sister figure sounds very appealing to me to share experiences and have support from someone from the get-go.”
The Center for Intercultural Development
Having a mentor who is closer in age can offer distinct benefits compared to having a mentor already established in their career. A mentor closer in age, such as a senior guiding a freshman, can provide assistance in navigating class registrations, warning you about certain professors and addressing relatable college experiences. This creates a relationship similar to the older sister/younger sister dynamic that Blong described.
Blong also mentioned the mentoring program’s impact from the beginning of the school year to now: “It was very nice to have someone push me to do things because there was a long time where I’d never go in the [CID] office because I was afraid to go, but Naomi pushed me,” she said. “And now I feel like I’m more confident going into those spaces or just being on campus.”
The Peer Mentor Initiative is an excellent way for first-year students to get to know the campus and meet other students who can help support them on their college journey. To learn more about the program, visit CID’s webpage at stkate.edu/life/cid/getting-involved or contact CID at cid@stkate.edu.
