By Nefertiti Williams

The reason I became a student mentor was to help out other students. I know that from personal experience that it is much easier to talk to another student than a teacher or advisor. When I became a student mentor I had to learn to balance my responsibilities. I learned how to juggle homework and school projects with my mentor duties.

To connect with my students more I used Facebook. Students get on Facebook frequently. Students get Facebook more than their emails. Another reason why I chose is because Facebook lets you make private groups. I made a group exclusive to the SD 10 class I was mentoring. I posted pictures of fliers from around the school. The fliers contained event, workshops, and other projects that I thought the students would find useful. Facebook also made it easier to communicate with my students. They could easily send me messages and know that I received them unlike emails.

My experience as a student mentor as been enjoyable. I like working with the advisors, communicating with my students, and going to school events. It feels good knowing that I helped someone learn a new skill or just was able to listen to their stories.

Nefertiti Williams is a second semester Peer Mentor in the Opening Doors Learning Communities at Kingsborough Community College.