The Peer Mentoring Program at AUA

The “Peer Mentoring Program” is dedicated to helping first-year students to smoothly transition into university life. It is offered by Student Affairs. Students who have already completed their first year of studies in the university have the opportunity to become peer mentors, a motivator, and a guide for the new students. With the help of this program, first-year students get the chance to get acquainted with academic life at AUA. It provides them with the opportunity to have someone they can approach anytime, regardless of the situation.

The “Peer Mentoring Program” was implemented at AUA in 2016, with the help of the Provost and the Office of Student Affairs. As the education system at AUA differs from other Armenian-based universities, it was necessary to guide first-year students and ease their studies at AUA. According to the Coordinator of Co-curricular Programs at AUA, Hasmik Marukyan, “All the efforts were made to develop a program that will equip freshmen with the necessary knowledge about available resources and services to make the transition as smooth as possible and to help them easily navigate through the new environment.”

Besides helping first-year students, peer mentors also benefit from the program. They gain new experiences and skills such as leadership, as they are in control of their sessions. They are free to create their schedules while ensuring that no mandatory topics are left out.

Dayana Amirkhanyan, 20, an AUA student who has been a peer mentor twice in 2020 and 2021, shared her experience, “It was vital for me to keep my mentees engaged in discussions during the sessions. I would usually choose a random student and ask them a question to see if they were being attentive or not.” Dayana loved being a mentee and wanted to join the team as a mentor to get the complete experience the program offers.

As she became a mentor, Dayana introduced her own approach to the program and used different strategies to engage the students in discussions actively. She also organized debates and discussions so every student would be able to participate.

As Hasmik Marukyan mentions, she has been involved in the program for three years, and this was one of the first programs to supervise as a Coordinator of Co-curricular Programs at AUA. Hasmik says, “It is getting more and more exciting, as new mentors bring fresh ideas and perspectives. Some mentors organize interesting, competitive games, while others hold dress-up days. The program offers diverse experiences: educational, interactive, and fun.”

They value student experiences which include witnessing mentees apply to the program and becoming mentors themselves.

Becoming a peer mentor at AUA can be fun and, at the same time, challenging as the mentors have to keep up with their mentees and be there for them. Not everyone can put so much effort into this, but when one does, they will never regret it. The memories and emotions obtained from this program will stay for a lifetime, so one should try it when they are ready.