Starting at a new school and relocating to a new state or country is very exciting for most students, but it also means big changes. Meeting new teachers, navigating a new campus, and mastering a new set of classes and homework can be daunting, not to mention the prospect of making brand new friends. To help our new students settle in and experience a smooth transition to their lives at Storm King, a group of returning students have stepped up to help. They call themselves Peer Mentors.

“The Peer Mentors are very important for our school,” explained senior Anora M. ’22, who coordinates the program. “The goal is to create a greater sense of community at Storm King, especially after the effects of the Coronavirus. We also want to make the acclimation process as easy and fun as possible for new students.”

According to Anora, the Peer Mentoring Program creates a win-win situation for both mentors and their mentees. “Mentors who volunteer have the chance to meet new students and improve their leadership skills, and they earn community service hours for their time. New students, or mentees, benefit because they feel at home right away, and have someone who is supportive, friendly, and can answer their questions, big or small,” continued Anora.

Peer Mentor Sophie D. ’23:
“I was inspired to be a peer mentor because I wanted to become more involved. I was a new student last year and I know that having a peer mentor would have helped me a lot.”

What does it take to become a Peer Mentor? Volunteers must be returning students who have completed at least one year at SKS, and possess “good communication and time management skills, compassion, friendliness, and flexibility.” In its first year, the program has attracted 24 mentors from various grade levels.  New students are matched with their mentors by dormitory, grade level, and common academic classes and interests.

“So far my experience has been great,” commented Peer Mentor Sophie D. ‘23. “I have loved being able to help new students get more involved and adjusted.  I’m glad I have the opportunity to meet more people than I would during a normal school day. I helped one of my mentees by suggesting they find a peer tutor to help them in certain classes, and another by obtaining a list of clubs and leaders to help them make more friends and become involved. Even though SKS is a small school, it can be hard to make new friends and see people outside of your four classes each day. Having someone who’s been new before to lean on, ask questions, and get tips from is really helpful.”

New student and mentee Fernando M. ‘23 echoes Sophie’s positive feelings about his experience so far: “I’m really enjoying the campus. It is beautiful and I get the chance to see nature that I don’t get to see back home. I am also enjoying the fact that I’m making really good friends from different parts of the world and from different cultures. Having a peer mentor to help me is important because everything is different here. Everyone is going to have some problems, so they need a person that has gone through the same thing to help them have a good boarding school experience.”

New Student Fernando M. ‘23:
“My mentor asks me all the time if I’m doing well and lets me talk with him about my problems, personal and academic. He has created a safe environment and that’s very good.”