SOAR Mentoring
SOAR Mentoring is a peer mentoring program designed to provide support and guidance to TRIO Upward Bound (UB) bridge students as they transition from high school to college. Bridge students are recent high school graduates who will be enrolling in a postsecondary institution in the upcoming fall semester. The purpose of the program is to give UB’s recent high school graduates greater assistance and resources to make decisions regarding his/her academics and college life. The UB students are paired with a TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) student during UB’s six-week summer program starting in June. During the summer mentors will be required to meet with their mentees at least once a week on campus. SSS mentors will use their personal experience, knowledge, and resources to provide guidance and feedback while helping to support the personal growth and development of their mentee. Once the summer is completed, SSS mentors will continue to help their mentees navigate their first year of college by having monthly check-ins either in-person or virtually.
The Importance of Peer Mentoring
Research shows that students who are mentored typically have more confidence, higher grade point averages (GPA), and a higher overall level of satisfactions with their college experience.
Also, people take their peers’ perspectives very seriously. This means that a positive peer mentoring relationship can have profound effects on a mentee’s sense of self-worth.
Due to the similarity in age of peer mentors to their mentees, mentees might also feel more comfortable sharing concerns and problems with their mentors. This increases mentee access to appropriate support and resources during times of struggle.
Benefits of Peer Mentoring
A peer mentor can help their mentees:
- Find information on important policies and dates
- Discover better time management strategies
- Make wise choices that will lead them toward their goals
- Begin taking action regarding their academics and career goals
- Build self-esteem
- To enhance self-motivation, self-discipline and goal setting
Join SOAR Mentoring
Any sophomore, junior, or senior that is a part of the TRIO SSS program is qualified to become a SOAR mentor. Each mentor will have to fill out an application that will be used to match mentors to mentees.
Peer mentoring applications will open in the spring semester. All TRIO SSS mentors will be selected and notified by June 1. Once you're selected, you will attend a training session in preparation for the upcoming UB summer program.
Contact Martika Jacobs (Martika.Jacobs@unt.edu) if you have any questions.
