The Peer Mentor Program is looking for new mentors for the next school year. 

According to Mary Medina, the Graduate Adviser of the Peer Mentor Program, the goal of the program is to aid in the academic, emotional, and socio-cultural adjustment of first year students enrolling for Fall 2014 at N.C. State. The peer mentoring relationship is designed to foster a network of support for culturally diverse students.

Nury Castro, a sophomore in parks, recreation and tourism management, participated in the program her freshman year and returned to the program in 2013 as a mentor. For some, the peer mentor program builds connections among students beginning in their freshman year that they often maintain throughout their time at N.C. State.

For Castro, the program came full circle when she began working with her own students.

“I remembered my first few days on campus and how overwhelming they were, which motivated me to be an even better mentor. As I put myself in their shoes I realized that I’d grown a lot and I will never be too busy to serve as someone’s mentor,” Castro said.

The program also asks mentors complete a course in student development and peer mentoring and suggest reaching out to a staff member to continue receiving guidance on campus.

Carlos Vega was mentored his freshman year and became a mentor for three other students. Two of his students successfully  continued as mentors in the program. As a new student, he remembers how useful the program was in getting to know other students and network on campus. 

When he became a mentor, he valued getting to know new students and says the program helped him become more comfortable around higher education staff. 

“I really enjoyed having mentees, whether I was a good mentor or not, you can ask them,” Vega said. “On the whole having a chance to get to know a little more about people is what I cherished most.”

The application deadline is Feb. 28, and students are encouraged to visit the Multicultural Student Association website to apply.