In my first year of graduate school, I joined the Graduate Student Mentorship Program (GSMP) because I knew I needed guidance on navigating graduate school since my family and close friends had yet to pursue it. I began my involvement with GSMP as a mentee throughout my first year of graduate school during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. I had the chance to be paired with two members of my cohort, so being a part of this community allowed us to have an outlet to connect since in-person interactions were limited and highly regulated. My peer mentor was a second-year graduate student in our program, so it was helpful that his experience as a first-year graduate student was still fresh in his mind. Our meetings with the faculty mentor were also helpful in gaining even more support. My overall experience was positive, as we were all very supportive of each other. Our peer mentor encouraged us to plan mock presentations, which helped improve our presentation style and constructive feedback on either unnecessary information or where information was needed to bridge ideas.

[Image description: Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) offers to help.]

Pictured: Helping you be your best!

Having been a mentee with a benevolent mentor, I took those qualities when I decided to become a peer mentor for my second year in graduate school. As a peer mentor, I understood the responsibilities essential to developing into a resourceful mentor. A major challenge I had as a mentor was learning about the slight differences between each graduate program. My mentees were all from the same graduate program, which was different from mine. These differences included the requirements such as the initial assessment exam, which courses to take, and TAing during their first year. Luckily, I had an excellent faculty mentor who gave me the necessary information to relay to my mentees. What motivated me the most as a peer mentor was seeing the growth of my mentees as the quarters passed. Additionally, getting to know one another and sharing interests made our meetings even more personable and fun.

[Image description: Katy Perry on American Idol saying “You are so on another level.”]

For my third year, I decided to apply for the position of the Special Topics Peer Mentor (STPM) of Mental Health and Wellness. I wanted to challenge myself by diving deep into mental health and figuring out the best approaches to motivate graduate students to apply healthy, stimulating mental health practices. Another upside to this position has been my constructive interaction with my fellow special topics peer mentor and mentorship coordinator. Being an STPM has positively influenced my involvement in the program by volunteering when needed or thinking of social events that we can hold for both peer mentors and mentees.

Overall, every step of the way, GSMP has positively impacted my graduate career. Having someone who has recently been in your shoes and knows the ins and outs of campus resources is beneficial as a first year. Being a mentor allowed me to be that guide for the new students. Lastly, being an STPM allowed me to reach out to not only mentees but also mentors and faculty.

[Image description: Maribeth Monroe on Bob Hearts Abishola motioning and stating to someone, “You just got yourself a mentor.”]

Pictured: Join GradSuccess next year as a Graduate Student Peer Mentor and support first-year UCR graduate students as they begin their journey through grad school.