<aside> 💡 Authored and compiled by Lily Markus and Doxey Kamara.
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While you are a CAIDS peer mentor, you are first and foremost a student, and you should prioritize your undergraduate education. Being a student will contribute to your success in this role. That being said, balancing your own course load, extracurriculars, and physical and mental well-being while being a peer mentor can be challenging. Learn to budget your time between your obligations as a peer mentor and as a student. Remember to properly plan and schedule your commitments ahead of time to avoid scheduling conflicts. Be sure to reach out to your instructor ahead of time if you know of prior commitments at the beginning and throughout the semester. Finally, do not hesitate to reach out to your instructor to express if you are overwhelmed or need to take a break. This is a learning opportunity and, as committed as you are to your role as a peer mentor, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
As a peer mentor, you are a resource to your peers. Although you will be interacting with many other students who you may have other classes with or engage with outside of CAIDS, please remember to remain professional, be respectful, and embrace your role as a future educator. Be sure to approach all situations with an open mind and recall that students come from different educational backgrounds. Because you are a peer, students may be more inclined to approach you with questions, concerns, and feedback. Be responsible about the way that you engage with your peers and appropriately assess questions, concerns, or feedback to report back to the instructor, as this may help improve the course.
Finally, as a peer mentor, you are a mentor and role model who guides, supports, and empowers your peers. Your job is to provide guidance and advice based on your experience and expertise. While you may not know the answer to every question, as a mentor, you should model behavior for your peers. This includes problem-solving, providing constructive feedback, demonstrating leadership, integrity, and empathy. As a mentor, you should aim to create a safe and open environment for your peers to explore challenges, develop new skills, and gain confidence. Your responsibility is to nurture the potential of your peers and help them navigate data science and equity.
As a peer mentor, you will typically be expected to: