The Graduate Student Resource Center is excited to welcome a new Co-Coordinator! Tyler Womack is a second-year student in School Psychology in the Graduate School of Education, as well as a current peer mentor.

 

[Image Description: Tyler Womack seated on a bench, smiling at the camara.]

Pictured: Tyler, ready to support her peers!

 

Originally from Illinois, Tyler moved to California to attend her undergraduate institution, Pomona College. After graduating, she worked for a couple of years as a special education teacher through Teach for America, and became inspired to help students by focusing on broader change in education systems. Her research looks at ways to improve certain aspects of school systems and educator practices as a way of improving outcomes for students with disabilities. 

Tyler is joining the GradSuccess team as a former mentee in the Graduate Student Mentorship Program, and she has also made use of the Graduate Writing Center, GradQuant, and attended several Resource Center events last year, such as coffee socials and the quarterly Stress Relief Fair (coming up this Fall on October 22nd!).

 

[Image Description: Iris Blake, Lead Graduate Writing Center Consultant, smiling with a mini-pony during a Stress Relief fair.] 

Pictured: The mini-pony you know you want to chill with.

 

Tyler says she is “excited to be facilitating these events so that graduate students have the opportunity to relax, get free food, and meet other students in the graduate community. I highly recommend that you take advantage of these resources as much as possible. As hard as it can be with our hectic schedules, make sure you plan time to take care of yourself and set healthy boundaries.”

Another important GradSuccess resource students should take advantage of is our peer support office hours. Every member of the GradSuccess team is available at different times/days to meet with fellow grad students on a scheduled or drop-in basis. You can meet with a team member based on availability or area of expertise, including Teaching/TA’ing, International Student Issues, Mentorship, Networking, Time Management, Being a Student Parent, and more. Our two Special Topics Peer Mentors also hold four office hours a week on the topics of Early Career Development, Mental Health and Wellness, Professional Communication, and Campus Resources.

 

[Image Description: Shalita Grant pointing to the viewer, smiling with pride. Below her are, written in white text are the words: You Got This.] 

Pictured: How you'll feel after attending Peer Support Office Hours

 

Tyler agrees that peer support can make a huge difference in student success:

"During my first year at UCR I took statistics courses for the first time and learned how to use the program R. Given that all of this was new to me, I found the work very challenging and fell behind.  Luckily, I had a very kind and patient peer in my cohort that worked with me once a week on the assignments. Although I still have a lot to learn, I feel like I progressed so much thanks to her help. Whether it is through your own program or another department like GradSuccess, having peer support can make a huge difference on your graduate journey.  It is empowering to know that some of the challenges I have faced others have dealt with too. "

Come by the GradSuccess office in UOB 141 between 9 am and 4:30 pm, Monday-Thursday, to take advantage of our peer support office hours. Grab a snack and some free coffee and be sure to say hello and welcome to Tyler while you do!

 

[Image Description: Joy, from Inside Out, smiling a waving energetically while standing on one leg.]

Pictured: GradSuccess, always here to say hello