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Students
guiding students
Reed’s peer mentor program benefits
new students
from diverse cultures
Three years ago Patty Hsue ’02, a Chinese American student, wished there was a way that minority and first-generation students could have an easier transition to life at Reed College.
She envisioned a program where upper-class students would act as mentors to first-year students, smoothing their way into the Reed community—then she made it happen.
For freshman students of racial and ethnic minorities, and for students who are the first in
their families to attend college, the transition to the rigorous academics and wide-ranging social
possibilities at Reed can be confusing and difficult. The program that Hsue founded has burgeoned,
providing a sense of caring and community to many students along the way as it developed into
a strong and vital part of life at the college.
In the program a first-year student is paired with a returning student (this year from African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic, Native American, and multiracial backgrounds). The mentor provides personal social support throughout the year in a relationship that is as unique as each set of students, and as rewarding as they can make it.
Organized activities for mentor program participants start at fall orientation with a kick-off dinner and retreat. During the year students can attend activities such as bowling and pizza dinners downtown, which act both as study breaks and opportunities to meet other community members with whom they can share their experiences, thoughts, and feelings. More formal group discussions center on topics such as going home for the first time, talking to parents about college, and what to expect sophomore year. These get-togethers form a basis for increased knowledge of and comfort with campus resources and networks—allowing students to focus more quickly and adeptly on their education, and on building their lives and learning how to inhabit their adulthood.
For more about the peer mentor program, call Kristin Holmberg, director of student activities, at 503/788-6692, or send email to kristin.holmberg@reed.edu.
