First Year Peer Coaching Program
Who are they?
Peer Coaches are trained student-leaders who help support all first-year students transition into UWB through one-on-one coaching sessions. They’re the student-experts on campus who can help first-year students adjust socially, academically, and emotionally so they have the best college experience possible.
Meet the 2021 Personal Academic Community Coaches
How does it work?
Each first-year student is enrolled in the program and is assigned a coach who will meet them during summer orientation and continue supporting them through fall quarter.
What type of support do they offer?
Coaches hold individual sessions at least once a month to build strong relationships, facilitate personal goal-setting, and refer students to appropriate resources. They help students achieve strong academic results and offer unique involvement opportunities. We know finding communities can be difficult, so coaches also host social events and connect students with club activities on campus. Beyond that, our coaches run the New Student Networks, which are specific pathways for students who may have unique transition experiences.
What to expect:
- Pre-Orientation: Peer Coaches will reach out to first-year students over the summer, before their scheduled orientation. This one-on-one conversation is a chance to get to know each other, learn more about the program, and answer any questions about the Orientation & Advising session.
- Orientation: Peer Coaches will facilitate a small-group session with their coachees. This gives first-year students a chance to build relationships with their coach and other new students, get acquainted with the campus, and discover ways to get involved!
- Fall Quarter: Once a month, first-year students will meet individually with their coaches to set goals, discuss achievements and challenges, and create personalized action plans. Our team of coaches will also host social events for all first-year students to attend in order to build lasting relationships and networking opportunities.
Why We Became Peer Coach Leaders
"Being a part of the peer coach team completely changed my college experience. I had never considered pursuing student affairs as a career, but seeing the impact that I can make on students and their transition to UWB left me feeling like I wanted continue this path." — Halee Trinidad
“Being an orientation leader and peer coach was a life-changing experience for me. I learned more about myself and the position gave me the skills and experience I needed to help me be successful in my current and future endeavors.” — Joe Soukhaseum
“Being a peer coach was a very rewarding experience; getting to see my fellow students grow and find their own place on campus filled me with joy.” — Elisa Sagisi