iPeer kick-off party

Established in Fall 2020 by the International Student Advisory Board (ISAB), the iPeer Mentorship Program (iPeer) pairs new international students (mentees) with returning international students (mentors). As the only peer-to-peer mentorship program designed for international students on campus, iPeer aims to provide support to new international students for their transition in the first semester and personal development, as well as to empower them to become leaders on campus.

 According to the program coordinator Shuhui Lin, who holds a joint appointment between International Programs and the Division of Student Life, all of the mentors in the program are genuinely interested in helping other international students. “My favorite part of this program is working with the mentors. It is a privilege to be able to share space with them and talk about relationship building and helping other international students,” shares Lin.

 Lara Dopazo Ruibal, an MFA student in Spanish creative writing from Marian, Spain, truly appreciates the help and support provided by her mentor Sneha Bhasali from last semester. “We are from very different places and different knowledge fields as well. It is really enriching. When I arrived, she helped me with some practical information about the city and the university,” says Ruibal. “ She also gave me great advice on how to engage students and how to better manage my own class load as a teaching assistant.”

 iPeer mentors and mentees connect monthly and are encouraged to attend events together during the semester. Four mentors and four mentees attended the program’s Spring 2022 kick-off party on Thursday, January 27. “Two mentees from last semester were invited to share their ideas on how this semester’s pairs can approach their relationships. Due to the nature of the spring semester, we have a smaller group and a lighter plan, but I am hoping to take the time to regroup and redesign the program for the fall semester, ” says Lin.