The CALS Graduate Peer Mentors are part of the Graduate Peer Mentoring Collaborative, an initiative supported by the Graduate School and four colleges at NC State: CALS, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Veterinary Science, and the College of Education. The Collaborative provides one-year fellowships to a small group of PhD student leaders in each college, providing these students with opportunities to receive training in key skills for peer mentoring and to serve as mentors to their fellow graduate students.
The 30-35 Graduate Peer Mentors attend a fall mentor training retreat and two additional training opportunities during the year. Outside of these all-college events the mentors from each college also work with the college facilitator (Dr. Rebecca Dunning is the facilitator for CALS) and their program DGPs to design and implement 1:1 and group peer mentoring projects.
The CALS Graduate Peer Mentor program seeks to position a mentor in each department (or program) each year to institutionalize peer mentoring as a part of the culture of CALS. The application window opens February 1 and peer mentors are selected by May 15.
“Participating in the GPM Program allowed me to grow so much as an individual and mentor. The programming allowed me to feel confident, and I had an entire year of practical experience with mentoring and community building.”
“The workshops and training not only helped with my interactions with mentees, but they made me more aware of my holistic role as an educator. I used the learnings and skills in my classrooms– Active listening, dialogue, and identifying a distressed student.”
“This program has opened my eyes to what a productive and appropriate mentor/mentee relationship looks like.”
– Reflections from prior CALS Graduate Peer Mentors
CALS Peer Mentor Rewards and Responsibilities
| Rewards | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Become a trained peer-mentor with a $1000 award for the academic year | Attend ~30 hours of virtual and in-person mentorship training |
| Make and strengthen connections with students within and across departments | Serve as your department’s or program’s peer mentor for the academic year |
| Contribute to the well-being of fellow graduate students | Mentor 4+ graduate students per semester |
“I have seen a marked improvement in my mental health and confidence since I began the peer mentor program.[My mentor’s] ability to provide insight into the grad school process – planning for graduation milestones, setting goals – as well as teaching me strategies to cope with personal struggles like imposter syndrome, home sickness and burnout, have been the most helpful.”
“Having someone who is there to support you who is also one of your peers, so they have a good understanding of the issues you are facing, is a highlight of having a peer mentor in my department.”
– Reflections from the mentees of CALS Graduate Peer Mentors
The CALS Graduate Peer Mentor program seeks to position a mentor in each department (or program) each year to institutionalize peer mentoring as a part of the culture of CALS. The application window opens February 1 and peer mentors are selected by May 15. Meet the 2023-2024 mentors serving 11 departments/programs on main campus and at Kannapolis.