(upbeat music)
-: A mentor is someone
who is there to help out their mentees.
Whenever they need help and guidance,
you are there to provide it for them.
Some of the things we have to do as LC Mentors are
we host study hours
as well as we just plan some fun events
so that way our mentees can have some de-stress
in their busy first semester of college.
-: So as a mentor, mainly what I do is I gather my students
and I give them opportunities,
real world opportunities in the field.
What their major is, what their interest is,
and trying to get them connected into the community.
But other than that,
we try to build their relationships as a learning community
where they live.
So my learning community for instance, lives in Able 11
and my goal is to get them
to build relationships with one another
so that way they can have those connections
furthering on in the field.
Just building relationships,
getting them connections in the field,
getting them applied their first year of college,
giving them a headstart.
-: One of the events that we planned this semester
for the chemistry learning community
was a research symposium.
So what we did is I brought in a few professors
and they worked with the students
to create little research presentations
on some different techniques that they would use in labs
or like in their professions in the future.
So basically our main major role is
just to help the students learn what their major is
and how to apply it.
-: My favorite part about being a mentor
is the peer connections I make.
I love eating dinner with my mentees.
I see 'em all the time on campus
and they're like friendly faces I get to see.
Also, I like the relationships
I've created with the staff and faculty members here at UNL,
and these relationships will last me
longer than I will be here at UNL.
-: Favorite part is the relationships I've built
with the students.
I really wasn't expecting to get to know them that well
but I feel like I've been able to get to know all of them
on a very personal level.
I get to see them every week
between the events and the floor hours
and we just, we have a lot of fun.
We've had game nights, movie nights, stuff like that
and get to know them in a much more personal level
than you normally would in a role like this, I think.
-: My favorite part about being a mentor
is definitely I just gotta have a lot of fun with my job.
My coworkers are so amazing
and so fantastic and fun to work with,
as well as my mentees.
They are a really fun group of kids
and it's their first time in college
and so we get that connection with them
because you haven't been in college
for necessarily that much longer than them.
So it's a really nice fun way to bond as students
and it's enjoyable.
I wish I would've known
how much I would've needed to know about other majors.
My LC is a lot of majors that are outside of my expertise,
but my biggest advice is
don't be afraid to go to your fellow coworkers
for what their advice to them would be.
Because they might have a better answer than you would.
-: Don't expect every mentee to be as involved
as your most involved mentees.
A lot of the times these students,
they have lives outside of the learning community
and we try to respect that.
And I've been very fortunate
that my learning community has been
the most involved learning community
I've seen in a long time,
my own included when I was in the learning communities.
Just the amount of involvement that they have.
I'm very fortunate.
But don't take it too hard on yourself
if there's one student that isn't getting involved
as the other students
and just recognizing that's not your fault
and just understanding that
not everyone's gonna be as involved,
and be grateful for the ones that are involved.
-: One benefit for being a peer mentor
is the connections that you make with the facility members,
your fellow mentors, also your mentees
and the other faculty and staff that you meet
as well as prominent members here at the UNL'S campus
and in Lincoln.
Also, one good thing that you get is three meal swipes.
As long as you remember to say that
you're using an admin swipe.
-: The best part about being a mentor
is the connections that you build in the LC.
Whether that's the staff in the LC,
the foundation your learning community is based in
or the college.
Just building your circle early in your college life
is super crucial
and we get to do that not only as mentee mentors,
but mentees as well.
They get to do that.
Plus the food benefits are great as well
and you get to build a flexible schedule,
not, there's not too much stress with it.
It's an easygoing job that I enjoy.
I get paid to do it
and I get to build those connections
and help these freshmen through their first year of college.