Gab

Peer mentoring. Two words, yet they’ve changed my life drastically.

Coming into university as the first in my family, I was filled with excitement but also dread. I constantly questioned whether I was meant to be here and whether Deakin was for me.

During my first Orientation session in Trimester 1, 2024, one of the Senior Peer Mentors spoke about the ArtsEd Peer Mentoring Program. I was in awe of how a student could have the courage and confidence to present to hundreds of new students. I remember thinking, I hope I can do something like that one day.

So, I joined the program as a mentee, curious about what Deakin had to offer and hoping to gain insight from experienced students. It was one of the best decisions I made. I learnt how to study, organise my time and navigate university, while meeting incredible people who inspired me to become a mentor myself.

When I signed up as a Peer Mentor in Trimester 2, 2024, I remember thinking, I don’t know if I have much to offer, but if I can help just one student, my contribution will be worth it.

One of my first development goals was simply “communication”. At the time, I didn’t even know exactly what I wanted to improve, I just knew I wanted to become more confident while helping students who might have felt as lost as I once did.

I entered the program intending to help others, but I didn't realise how much it would challenge me and help me grow into the person I knew I could be.

Through facilitating meetings and supporting everyone from undergraduate and postgraduate students to high school Accelerate students, I learnt how important it is to adapt the way you communicate to different people.

Then, in Trimester 1, 2025, I was asked to join an Orientation student panel.

It was a full-circle moment. I had gone from sitting in the audience admiring the confidence of a Senior Mentor to sharing my own experiences in front of hundreds of students. By allowing myself to be vulnerable about my own challenges, I could show new students that they weren't alone and that support was available as they transitioned into university life.

The program also gave me beautiful friendships that I still cherish today. Life isn't meant to be done alone, and peer mentoring really highlighted that for me. Through mentoring, Orientation and our catch-ups, I've formed genuine connections with students and staff across the Arts and Education Faculty and gained insights that I will carry well beyond university.

My hair colour and style may have changed almost every trimester, but one thing that never changed was the sense of community, connection and fun I found in the Peer Mentoring Program. Through every version of myself that walked into Deakin, this program remained a space where I felt like I belonged.

If you're considering becoming a Peer Mentor, my advice is simple: just go for it.

Take the opportunities that come your way because you never know where they might lead. You'll develop skills, challenge yourself and help other students, but you'll also have a lot of fun along the way.

Most importantly, cherish every moment.

In what feels like the blink of an eye, I've gone from an uncertain mentee sitting in my first Orientation session to completing seven trimesters in the Peer Mentoring Program and preparing to graduate.

I wouldn't trade that journey for the world.

Live in the moment,

Gab