Foundations for Future Success

BY ALLYSON COUSINO, HONORS ADVISOR

THIS FALL, WE WELCOMED 639 first-year students to the Judy Genshaft Honors College on the Tampa campus! As part of their journey in the Honors College, all first-year students on the Tampa and Sarasota-Manatee campuses complete a 10-week course titled Honors Foundations taught by our very own upper-class Honors students, Peer Mentors. Honors Foundations serves as a community-oriented classroom environment for our first-year students to build connections with their fellow Honors peers, and understand the resources and opportunities available to them as Honors students at USF.

When asked how he would describe Honors Foundations to an incoming Honors student, Maxwell Ungrey, Cell and Molecular Biology, stated, “Honors Foundations is your roadmap to navigating the Honors College. After taking the class, you’ll know with confidence every step you need to take to gradu- ate with honors and continue to be a lifelong learner.” Throughout their time in Honors Foundations, students learn about topics such as academic success, financial literacy, health and wellness, campus involvements with research and study abroad, professionalism and career readiness.

The Peer Mentor and Peer Mentor Lead positions also provide valuable leadership opportunities for upper-level Honors students to share their knowledge and experiences with the next class of JGHC students by teaching their very own class. Second year student, Chad Hosein, Electrical Engineering, describes his experience in the Peer Mentor position as “a great opportunity to share your knowledge with incoming students. Not only do you form a special bond with your students, but you also build your own interpersonal and public speaking skills. The added benefit of working alongside other Peer Mentors is amazing because you can hear new ideas for your class and get inspired to do new things with them.”

Through formal training and intentional support, Peer Mentors are given the tools they need to successfully develop their own lesson plans and teach their own group of first-year students. Divya Patel, a senior Psychology and Criminology double major, describes her experience as a Peer Mentor Lead position as “a support system that helps you navigate through not only personal matters but builds you up professionally as a student leader.”

The key to success for this program is our belief in our students to meet the high expectations of the program. We instill trust in our Peer Mentors to guide our new students through their first semester on campus. They are often the very first face of the Judy Genshaft Honors College to many of our new students. Without fail, our Peer Mentors take this responsibility seriously and exceed our every expectation. Each year the program and curriculum evolve to incorporate the contributions of our Peer Mentors, keeping the course relevant to our incoming freshmen and ensuring a meaningful leadership experience for our mentors.