Dear Journal,

"Holidays are enticing only for the first week or so.  After that, it is no longer such a novelty to rise late and have little to do."  -- Margaret Laurence

Bloodhounds flooded campus on January 30th - an indication that the spring semester had begun. With the start of a new semester, students are familiar with a fresh feeling. We experience new classes, new faces, new teaching styles...and in the life of a peer success coach...new mentees. I had the pleasure of meeting my students during the first week, and despite it being so early in the semester, I would like to reflect on some memorable moments, challenges I thought I would have and those I foresee, and the personal growth I see in myself.   

Memorable Moments

(1) Last semester, I accepted the responsibility of guiding approximately 112 additional students through their first semester at John Jay College. Generally, these students registered very late, which had the unfortunate consequence of little to no valuable classes available, meaning these students were not in classes they needed. For example, some students were not enrolled in an English or Math course; others could not find an open first-year seminar, and therefore did not necessarily have the concrete support of the SASP Success Team. Additionally, their schedules often reflected huge gaps in between classes. This incidence was to be dealt with immediately because of the high-risk seat most of these freshmen were sitting in. It was addressed by a sub-team of SASP, which included myself.

I knew that since I would be assigned to first-year seminars in the spring I wouldn't be seeing the last of some of my then Non-FYS mentees. Though most of the work I did for this relatively large group of students in the fall consisted of emails and phone calls, I was able to meet some of them in person during workshops that I co-facilitated. Much to my surprise I was remembered and recognized on the first day of class, which is one of my most memorable moments from last week. One of my previous students saw me walk into the classroom and excitedly said hello! I remembered speaking to him and a friend of his during one of the fall workshops about the BA/MA Program for Forensic Psychology, which seems to be my specialty topic. I immediately liked being in that class because of the familiar and friendly face!

(2) Another moment actually happened two hours ago! Students don't typically respond to the weekly emails their coaches send out; I know from personal experience. However, one of my students emailed me this afternoon and thanked me for my advice. It was heartwarming to know he took the time to read it and found it useful! He is looking forward to more emails from me regarding student tips and different events on campus, especially the First-Year Student Kickoff! He also mentioned that he is a bit concerned with his first-year seminar, describing it as challenging. This is extremely helpful for me as his success coach because now I know to keep an eye out for him, perhaps even do weekly check-ins just to see how things are going.

(3) Last week, a student approached me after class, smiling. I knew that was already a good sign, considering I'd just introduced myself to the class and maybe I had caught her attention. As it turned out, I mentioned I play softball and was, in fact, wearing a John Jay Softball sweatshirt, which she really liked. She wanted to know more about tryouts, and I happily agreed to talk to her about it. Even though the interaction was quick, a connection was made.

(4) Another student expressed interest in something as well. The difference is this student was my mentee from last semester! She messaged me a few days ago in reference to the SASP Peer Success Coach application. I was ecstatic to hear she wanted to apply. She shared with me where her interest stemmed from - that being the work that I do. She saw it as inspirational. I've never thought someone could see me as an inspiration, so it warmed my heart knowing I'm looked at in that light. She is very outgoing, energetic, and friendly. I truly believe she has the qualities that are sought out for a position like this.

Challenges I Thought I Would Have and Those I Foresee

(1) This semester I was assigned to two first-year seminars - one encompassed within a philosophy course and the other an anthropology course, of which I'm already familiar because I worked with the same professor last semester. I thought I would have difficulty keeping myself engaged in the philosophy class due to my experience with that subject area. I took a 200-level philosophy course in the fall, and it honestly was not what I expected. I didn't find it as intriguing as I thought it would be. So, I was worried about this class assignment because I wasn't sure how I would conduct myself if the material ended up not catching my attention. I want to engage in the class; I want to be lively, in turn encouraging my students to do the same. Reviewing the syllabus, however, caught my attention. This section would involve more class discussion that the students would ultimately direct. I'm excited to hear what the students think about certain topics, such as religion; some even expressed to the professor what questions they have which led them to take this course. Fortunately, there's already curiosity and wonder among the students, which seems to have already rubbed off on me!

(2) I made some changes to my coaching style this semester. I've decided to ask for my mentees' preferred days and times in terms of coaching sessions, as well as offer group sessions to those who may not feel comfortable meeting with me individually just yet. A challenge I foresee is executing these potential group sessions well enough so that each student leaves the meeting feeling more confident in their ability to achieve what they're aspiring to be; and feeling more connected to myself, their peers, the campus, and most importantly themselves. Since most of my students are second semester freshmen, I'm looking to delve into career options or interests that may be prominent in some of their minds. In order to make sure the group sessions run smoothly, I'm hoping to tailor my sign-ups in a way that assembles my students by major; this will aid in the conversation.

Being able to go into depth with my mentees in a group setting will definitely be challenging, but my goal for this new idea is to encourage my students to come back to meet with me individually after being in a group. I think exposing most of my mentees to this dynamic will allow them to familiarize themselves with me a lot more before jumping into individual sessions. I'm hoping this approach will increase how comfortable they are with me, as well as increase the likelihood of them scheduling a follow-up meeting.

Helping Skills I Applied This Week

Being that it's only been a week since the start of spring classes, I haven't really encountered situations in which to use the helping skills I've learned...except for one. When introducing myself to my students I explained my role as a peer success coach, thus mentioning coaching sessions. In doing so, I used enchantment in order to grasp their attention and, hopefully, spark an interest in taking advantage of the opportunity to meet with me. What I find appealing is knowing that I have control in some situations. In this case, my explanation of coaching sessions described the meetings as conversational and directed mostly by the student. I do have certain objectives for these sessions; one being creating action plans with my students that help them achieve some of their goals. I made sure, however, to clearly state that I want to get to know them, and so I would allow them to talk about whatever is on their mind. 

Personal Growth

I've noticed a change in myself. I used to be very introverted - definitely not one for public speaking or promoting events. However, throughout last semester my nerves about doing such things calmed, and the fears dissipated. This semester I'm ready to do everything I can to be that one person in the room who everyone is drawn to because of their energy and charisma.

Talk to you again in two weeks...

Sincerely,

Samantha