By Logan Monteleone and Julianna Nelson-Gaudette
News Editor and Elm Staff Writer
Peer Mentors spent last Sunday at Echo Hill Outdoor School for the program’s annual Senior Sendoff, where seniors reflect on their time with the program and new Peer Mentors are fully initiated. The full-day retreat involves team bonding activities and use of Echo Hill’s outdoor activity and adventure courses, including the “Giant Swing” and challenges along the ropes course.
The Peer Mentor program, led by Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Tricia Biles, trains current students to serve as resources and supportive peers to first-year students. Though the Peer Mentors are most well-known for their role in leading orientation groups and Explore! activities, the group stays active throughout the year by communicating and meeting with mentees and one another.
A total of 38 students participated in the retreat. Next year’s class will have 25 Peer Mentors plus the three Peer Mentor Leaders. Peer Mentor Leaders, or PMLs, are responsible for leading communications among the peer mentors and for coordinating events, meetings, and trainings alongside Biles and Student Affairs.
Swinging on Echo Hill’s large outdoor rope swing is a tradition for Peer Mentors. Seniors are invited to share their reflections on the program and their hopes for incoming peer mentors while the rest of the team hoists them up in the rope swing. The release of the swing is symbolic of seniors leaving the program and entering the world.
Dinner was catered by Happy Chicken Bakery, followed by a bonfire on the beach with s’mores. The beach bonfire is part of another tradition: the reading of letters to graduating seniors. Returning Peer Mentors read aloud from letters they have written to seniors, and Peer Mentors abroad this spring still participated by sending in letters.
A passing of the torch ceremony initiates the transfer of the Peer Mentor Leader position from graduating to incoming leaders.
Seniors Ben Erickson and Bryson Ostrum are the outgoing PMLs who passed the torch to incoming leaders junior Elm photographer Myla Harrell, junior Terrence Vincent, and sophomore Avery Bourdeau.
Bourdeau, who is finishing her first year as a peer mentor, said she first decided to apply for the program because of how much her peer mentor helped guide her as a freshman.
“I chose to be a peer mentor because I know what it’s’ like to be awkward and shy as a freshman, and I wanted to be a person that people can look up to and use as a resource, and be a familiar face for the uncomfortable moments in freshman year,” Bourdeau said.
The past year as a peer mentor has taught Bourdeau to be “comfortable being uncomfortable” while navigating challenges and learning to be outgoing as a leader for new students. An interest in working behind the scenes, coming up with program ideas, and working closely with Student Affairs motivated Bordeau to apply for the PML position.
“The peer mentor position has made me realize that I’m capable of doing hard things . . . The position is awkward at some times, and weird, but you kind of have to lean into the silliness,” Bourdeau said.
Senior Faith Poulton, who joined the program her junior year, said some of her favorite memories have been bonfires at the Hodson Boathouse and bonding with fellow Peer Mentors during orientation week.
Not many jobs pay students to spend time with familiar friends and to make new ones, Poulton said, and one of the most important parts of being a Peer Mentor is enjoying it.
“My advice would just be to treasure every second of it and to have fun with it. It’s really the best job on campus,” Poulton said.
Freshman Victoria Justen, who just joined the Peer Mentor team, said she looks forward to making new students feel welcome in the same way that her Peer Mentor gave her a sense of belonging.
“I really loved the Peer Mentors’ work in my first week and during my first year, and I just [want] to be there for the new freshman and to bring the energy that I had [to new students],” Justen said.
Justen said she enjoyed getting to participate in the Senior Sendoffs and to listen to the letters returning Peer Mentors wrote to seniors.
“It was such a beautiful way to connect with everyone,” Justen said of the bonfire ritual.
Students hired as Peer Mentors have undergone an interview process with the outgoing PMLs and with Biles. Incoming Peer Mentors begin their work at the end of the spring semester with a full week of training following finals, and over the summer, they will be contacting incoming students.
Photo caption: Senior Bryson Ostrum, an outgoing Peer Mentor Leader, is suspended from the Giant Swing at Echo Hill Outdoor School as part of a tradition for recognizing students who are moving on from the Peer Mentor program.
Photo by Myla Harrell
Note: Elm staff writer Julianna Nelson-Gaudette is a peer mentor.