Category: Inspirational Mentoring Stories

Reflecting on Growth

By Daniel E. Lozano

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At the end of a semester I like to sit back and look back at how my semester went. But when looking back this time I realized I saw something interesting: I saw growth. Not just in the class I worked with, but in myself as well.

I saw the group grow over the whole semester by starting with smaller interactions between each other, asking a few questions at a time and gradually break the silence in the room. At the start everyone was nervous and shy, much like I was when I started. At first, when they met me, they weren’t quite sure how to approach me. They saw me on par with the professor I was working with. It felt weird at first, but to break the ice I decided to start asking questions that freshmen ask frequently. I wanted to convey that I’m a student as well and no questions are bad questions.

As the semester went on, I saw everyone slowly warm up. They started sitting in more tightly knit groups, then eventually just started to work as an entire class. It was a great feeling seeing that happen.

Then I realized, I also grew a bit too. I was a bit nervous just like them, but I was also trying to do my best. I thought about the stories the other peer mentors have shared with me and thought about what I learned from them. Personally, standing in front of a group of students wasn’t always my forte’, which is kind of ironic that I’m a peer mentor who stands at the front helping the professor conduct class.

I learned how to work through my own personal flaw by doing something I enjoy: helping people. My first few classes with the group at the beginning of the semester were interesting because much like they were, I was nervous. But as time went on I started to become feel more comfortable. Students were approaching me after class asking questions about facilities as well as saying, “Hey!” whenever they would spot me on campus. It’s a great feeling knowing that they feel I’m someone they could approach to ask questions and chat with.

So looking back at last semester was helpful because not only did I see growth in the class, I also saw it in myself and with that I was able to take a positive attitude into this semester’s course where I have been more proactive with students and glad to have office hours in which if need be, they could visit me to discuss class or even have a friendly chat.

For that I’m glad to be a peer mentor and I look forward to seeing how this semester’s class grows as well.

 

Daniel E. Lozano is beginning his second semester as a Peer Mentor for the Opening Doors Learning Communities at Kingsborough Community College.

Mentoring Can Be a Step to Being Someone Better

By Fernando Gomez

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Being a mentor is very beneficial for myself and the students who are around me who need my help (especially those who are scared to ask.) In this case, this story is something that you can see how the smallest thing can make a huge difference for someone else.

Some time ago, I was going through a new group of students for my second semester as a mentor. It was a good group of freshman and some were automatically involved in my plans to help them thrive in a college environment for the first time. Others… not so much.

Throughout the group, I noticed one student who caught my interest. He was a freshmen with a positive personality, but I sensed that he was troubled at the same time. He was hanging out with the wrong group of people, though it wasn’t too far from the point to where he could use my guidance and help.

One day I spoke to him to see how he was doing in his class as well as how he was enjoying his time in campus so far. We began talking and I found out some things that confirmed my suspicions. He was struggling in a class that I had to go through as well, though more times that I had liked. He had more struggles that I had imagined or better yet, that I didn’t think of.

I told him of my struggles and my hurdles that I had to deal with, and afterwards I started to explain to him that those struggles weren’t a mountain of a hurdle, they are something that he could confront. He had to focus on overcoming the hurdles if he wanted to get to fulfill his goals and aspirations.

But one thing that I was glad that he asked me right after our conversation was, “As my mentor, can you help me be better than what I am now?” I responded, “I had a feeling you were going to say that. I would be honored to.”

Since that day, he got better and thrived in his classes, so much that he passed with flying colors. After the semester, he became my protege and one of my first co-mentors, and I’m happy to say that he has changed so much since that semester. He’s done well, and he has a bigger future ahead of him. Not only as a mentor, but as a member of the Student Government Business Council. He is an example of how much you can better yourself to become who you want to be and how you want others to see you.
Fernando Gomez is the Senior Peer Mentor in the Opening Doors Learning Communities at Kingsborough Community College.