Dear Journal,

"Sometimes what we all need is some peace and quiet." -- Unknown

Writing the first section of this journal entry, I must describe my surroundings, as it would be an injustice not to. Seated on lush, soft grass, a pen and notepad in hand, I am surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature. Towering spruce and pine trees line the background that my eyes fall upon. Skies, as though an artist delicately painted an elegant blue on canvas, lies above me. Birds' songs fill my ears with joy. Light breezes gather strands of my hair, encouraging them to fly. The sun's rays kiss my cheeks as I smile up at it, admiring its warmth that I've missed so. I found my peace. I found my quiet. My thoughts roam freely here. Nature doesn't know of its impact...it doesn't realize its therapeutic qualities. Oh, how I wish I could stay here because there's never enough time to soak it all in.

Sunset - Upstate, NY. April 9th, 2017.

Memorable Moments 

(Including a Challenge I Thought I Would Have)

I conducted my first "over-the-phone" coaching session on March 31st. Many of my peers already had experience facilitating this type of coaching session. Those who had offered me some insight on what it would be like, since it is different compared to that of an in-person meeting. Most expressed their dislike of these meetings only because they felt disconnected from the student on the other end of the phone. Face-to-face encounters hold much more depth, according to some. I agreed with these comments as they were being said without actually knowing what the result would be in my case. After the feedback, I was more skeptical, and I regretted offering phone conferences as an option. One of my goals, since I began working as a peer success coach, has been to connect with my students; develop lasting relationships with them. The distaste of these coaching sessions felt by other peers didn't seem promising to me, in terms of helping me achieve my goal. Despite this, I kept the phone conference scheduled as it was.

Without this meeting, I may not have been able to learn more about this particular student, which would've been a loss for me. The student I spoke with is an international student who possesses an insight on the world that is rare. She expressed her appreciation for and interest in the topics discussed in her first-year seminar. When asked to elaborate on the appreciation piece, she explained that in her country she wouldn't have learned about most of the material covered. Because of her experience here, she considers herself to be more well-rounded. Her overall outlook on education is something to be admired. Often times, I'll admit, I don't want to continue. I'm, stressed, tired, and uninterested. Listening to her made me reevaluate my thoughts. She is open to learning new things because there's always something new and interesting that you can expose yourself to.

She's an observer. Photography is a passion of hers, and she utilizes it in every way she can. She sees the world through different lenses, and it has helped her capture the beauty of New York and its people. Her reflections reside with me. Every day I try to see the world differently. Putting aside work, I find time to reminisce in life's beauty...especially during spring break (see introductory paragraph).

Needless to say, that phone call was opposite of what everyone else had encountered. It was refreshing. I learned so much about her. We remained on the phone for about an hour. When asked to elaborate, she did - how and why she started photography; why she changed her major; what interests her (in classes, in life, etc.); life back home...the list goes on. Though it wasn't face-to-face, it was still a fruitful and meaningful conversation that I would do again.

Challenges I Foresaw & Experienced

One of the biggest challenges I foresaw was advisement outreach, especially since the work included reaching out to students from last semester. I knew some wouldn't be as receptive to the outreach, which in turn, would complicate the work a bit more. Most of my students did answer me; however, some responses included simple feedback, such as "No I haven't attended advisement yet," without further communication or indication of them attempting to schedule an appointment. The scare tactic was quite helpful in encouraging these students to seek out advisement. Overall, though I may have to check in with my students again once the enrollment period actually begins, I achieved my goal of at least making them aware of their responsibility to attend an advisement appointment - plus checking for and resolving any bursar/financial aid holds!

Section Section of Entry (After Spring Break)

Memorable Moments 

Second interview mingling! I loved getting to know some of the applicants this past week. I noticed myself communicating better in terms of using tactics that were initially introduced to me as helping skills to use during coaching sessions. Skills, such as reflection of feeling and paraphrasing, made appearances in my conversations. Recalling last semester, the ultimate goal was to see an incorporation of these skills into everyday engagement.

Challenges I Experienced

(Week of 04/16): The SASP team held the second round of interviews for applicants this past week. I was excited to be on the panel. I knew we had already selected strong and fierce candidates to participate in the second interview, and I was eager to meet them. As we all sat in the room, instructions being explained, I could see the drive and readiness in their eyes.

A challenge that I experienced, which was felt on a more case-by-case basis, was the debriefings afterward. While some candidates expressed their knowledge, professionalism, and liveliness, others fell a bit short in some areas. What was difficult was sorting through the strengths and weaknesses in order to make decisions. This was particularly challenging because I saw myself in a lot of the candidates. I remember when I applied for SASP and I sat in those same chairs during the second interview; I remember being more introverted and more concerned about the information than the engagement of the senior peers. It made me think about what the senior peers thought of me just a year ago. I described most of the applicants as being coach-able, but that wasn't always agreed on. So, even though we chose amazing people to become a part of the team next semester, I still feel badly knowing we may not have some people on the team who just need a push to blossom.  

Helping Skills I Applied (During Remainder of Coaching Sessions/Second Interview)

• Reflection of feeling
• Paraphrasing
• Open-ended questions & the use of encouraging prompts, such as “tell me more about…”
• Nonverbal encouragers, such as nodding and smiling

Personal Growth

For our return to classes, Nancy decided to dedicate her class time to equip us with tools and strategies to decrease stress throughout the remaining weeks of this semester. In doing so, we engaged in a brain-dump activity, in which we listed everything that contributes to our stress levels. In addition to the obvious hundred-page readings, papers, etc., we opened up the conversation to more personal topics. Mine, in particular, still doesn't make sense to some when I explain that I'm not even sure where it stems from, but it does take a toll on me. However, sharing that and seeing by show of hands how many others think the same, I realized I'm not as alone as I often think I am. Though this isn't something that can be fixed right away, I have promised myself that I would at least try to work through it with the help and guidance of peers.

Just one thing to always keep in mind...

Talk to you again in two weeks for the final entry...

Sincerely,

Samantha