Application

Summarize your proposed experiential learning activity, including the primary focus of your activity, your intended actions, and the expectations of your supervisor and/or organization/partners.

For my experiential learning activity, I will create a student-led peer mentoring program for Honors students. Projected to begin in Autumn 2021, the primary focus of this quarterly program is to facilitate mentoring relationships through a selective matching process. I will lead a team of Honors Community Ambassadors (HCA) to make online applications for mentors and mentees, promote the program, match students after the applications close, and conduct check-ins throughout the quarter. I will also be working closely with my supervisor, who will guide my progress and oversee the logistics of this project.

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Explain how your activity demonstrates the values of the Honors Program Experiential Learning area you selected. Rather than reiterating our definition, outline how your activity embodies this definition.

My experience managing the UW Neurobiology Club Mentorship Program has given me the vision needed to create a similar program geared towards Honors students. The components of this project include figuring out what kinds of questions we need to ask in the applications, how to match mentors and mentees in an organized way, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of the program throughout the quarter. I will be demonstrating my leadership skills throughout the execution of these tasks as I collaborate with other HCAs, listen to their ideas and suggestions, and address problems that we face along the way.

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How and why did you select this engagement? What skills or experiences do you hope to gain from it?

The idea for this program was first brought up in an HCA meeting and I was one of the students interested in turning it into a reality. Unlike other projects, this program has the potential to last for years to come and I was excited about the opportunity to create something that has a long-term impact on the Honors community. I was also inspired by how my own UW journey has been shaped by the many student mentors I have met along the way and I wanted to share this experience with my peers. Since this will be my first time leading an HCA project, I am hoping to gain valuable skills such as leadership, communication, and problem solving.

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How does this activity connect to your concurrent or past coursework? How does it speak to your broader education goals and experiences?

This activity closely aligns with HONORS 100, where I realized how meaningful it is to hear about the college experience from the perspective of a peer. I am also currently taking HONORS 397 in preparation for being a Peer Educator next fall, which will allow me to gauge interest in the program from potential mentors and mentees. Although my broader education goal is to pursue medicine in the future, I know that mentoring will continue to be relevant so I hope to share this passion with other students through the creation of this program.

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How will your activity contribute to the larger goals of the organization/your partners?

Students often feel disconnected from the Honors Program after taking HONORS 100, which is why I became an HCA to rediscover that connection. I believe that the Honors Peer Mentoring Program will address this issue by providing students with the best resource to navigate the Honors Program: their peers. Whether the student is a mentee who needs help finding Experiential Learning opportunities or a mentor who wants to help other students with the Honors portfolio, this program will be for everyone at any step of their UW journey. Overall, I am excited to be creating a program that will help students accomplish their academic goals and deepen social connections within the Honors community.

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Reflection

Being the Director of the Honors Peer Mentoring Program for the past eight months has completely transformed my perspective on leadership. Early on, I knew I would be responsible for leading the Mentorship Committee and the students participating in the program. But since then, I have learned that leadership is more than just guiding a group of people. Leadership is about executing a vision, identifying changes that need to be made, and helping others realize that they, too, can become leaders. Being the leader of this program also meant I could share my passion for mentoring with the Honors community. I strongly believe that every student should have the opportunity to engage in mentoring, and for the first time in the history of the Honors Program, students were able to do this in a structured, supportive space. 

 

Although I anticipated that this program would appeal to many students, I did not expect 90 students to be participating in our first cohort this quarter! Whether it was introducing the program through the Opening Ceremony, getting dinner on The Ave, or decorating cookies while watching Home Alone, I am proud that we hosted various events this quarter. Based on the feedback we received from students in their check-in surveys, it's clear that this program has encouraged students to make new connections and take the initiative in their UW Honors experience, which is exactly what the program was intended to do.

 

Of course, I could not have done any of this without the support of my supervisor, Nadra. She has been there every step of the way, and I’m excited to continue working with her this year. There were also some personal milestones along the way, including being featured in an article by Undergraduate Academic Affairs and receiving the Mary Gates Leadership Scholarship. As I reflect on my desire to pursue medicine—a career rooted in teamwork and leadership—I have become more confident that directing this program is another stepping stone towards my goal.

 

As with any project, though, there were several challenges such as having an imbalance between mentor and mentee applicants, scrambling to find a room in time for the Opening Ceremony, and some students being unresponsive about the check-in surveys. I organized these challenges into a feedback tracker, a spreadsheet that includes the feedback I receive from students and faculty, and things I have learned from my own experience. I complement each feedback with a brief reflection, ideas on implementing the feedback, and its current status. This has helped me shape my goals for next quarter, which include recruiting new members onto our committee, hosting two Opening Ceremonies instead of one, and increasing student engagement through social media platforms. Although these goals may be challenging, I look forward to leading my peers in turning them into a reality.

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Artifact

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