I was motivated to become a peer coach, as I believed it would especially benefit my future career. As a Music Education major, I plan to enter into a teaching role and support children in their learning. I see this role as a stepping stone to help build skills I will use later in life, especially as a professional in my career field.
I believe the peer coaching program is important because we get to know the individual scholars we work with and give them a consistent support system that is accessible to them online or in-person. As current AMC students, we also work to share the students’ experiences and sometimes the difficulties students face. I have faced different obstacles in my student experience and now I get to help first time freshman and first-time transfer students get to know their new environment, connect them with opportunities, and help them find a sense of belonging in the CSUN community.
In terms of obstacles, navigating classes and coursework has proved somewhat challenging in my experience. Taking the time to practice skills such as time management, building an effective study schedule, and learning how to access resources at CSUN has been helpful; all of which are topics we as peer coaches get to explore when working with scholars.
I would also say that as a commuter student, transportation has been hard for me as I do not own a car and it can be difficult getting on the bus or finding a ride to campus. What helped me stay connected and able to better navigate CSUN was taking time to get to know what was happening on campus and seizing the opportunities that do work with my schedule, such as the role of peer coach. While events I can attend are limited by my busy school schedule and balancing other responsibilities, I have enjoyed hosting AMC student events as a peer coach. With each of the events this year, I enjoyed providing a space where scholars could stop and take a break in what can sometimes be an overwhelming experience. I especially enjoy the events, as it is a chance to meet fellow students in my own department and other departments in the Curb College.
Something that I can take away from the experience as peer coach is the importance of learning how to adapt in a changing environment and understanding not everything will go as planned. College can often include personal struggles, and that is what peer coaches are here for, to help students explore what success means to them and connect them with support and resources available in our AMC community. I believe peer coaches help provide that extra support and community that helps create a positive college experience for students at the Mike Curb College.