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Peer Fellow Program

The Counseling and Student Development Center (CSDC) Peer Fellow Program was established in 2010 as part of the Office of Student Affairs Students Helping Students Achievement Fellowship (OSA Fellowship). The goals of this program include promoting the retention and graduation of UH Mānoa students. The Peer Fellow Program’s aim is to serve a range of UH Mānoa students who are challenged by academic and personal barriers.

The Peer Fellow Program is a comprehensive yearlong (Fall and Spring semester) training and service program. We recruit a class of Peer Fellows who work as part of a collaborative team. Peer Fellows will also have opportunities to develop more individualized projects promoting student mental health depending on their areas of personal interest. Students of all academic majors are encouraged to apply. The beginning of the fall semester focuses on training Peer Fellows on a wide variety of topics including the roles and responsibilities of Peer Fellows, confidentiality, maintaining boundaries, active listening, stress management, time management/organization, self-care, and campus resources. As the fall semester progresses, Peer Fellows take on a more active role in supporting the wellbeing and adjustment of UH Mānoa students. Peer Fellows engage in a variety of activities such as:

  • Participating in a weekly supervision/training meeting with one of the Co-Coordinators of Peer Fellow Program. Special guest presentations on topics such as couples counseling and substance use may be scheduled depending on Peer Fellow interest and presenter availability. Seminar will be held in person at the CSDC. 
  • Option to attend CSDC staff development presentations, currently scheduled monthly on Wednesday mornings via Zoom. 
  • Participating in programming and outreach, which may include:
    • Developing, planning, coordinating, advertising, and implementing new Peer Fellow outreach events to engage with students around topics such as study tips and tricks, well being, time management, etc. Past classes have developed large scale events with unique themes, collaborating with other offices on campus and outside groups such as therapy dogs. Events promote student learning through handouts and interactive activities such as trivia games. 
    • Tabling at large-scale campus events organized by the CSDC or other offices on campus to inform students about the availability of counseling services and topics such as healthy relationships.
    • Developing and creating resources educating students on topics related to mental health such as increasing well-being and motivation, and coping with stress.
    • Presenting on topics such as services available at the CSDC, time management, organizational skills, self-care, and campus resources. Presentations may be organized by Peer Fellows or offered in response to a professor request, and may take place in-person or via Zoom. 
    • Developing, planning, decorating, and potentially staffing a new student resource room at the CSDC to make it an inviting space for the community to learn more about mental health resources available to students. 
    • Designing advertising flyers, banners, and handouts  for Peer Fellow and CSDC events and programs using Canva, an online graphic design tool.
    • Maintaining/updating the Peer Fellow website, and posting on the Peer Fellow Instagram account. Please note all posts must be approved by one of the Co-Coordinators of the program before posting.
  • Peer Fellows strive to draw from evidence-based and reputable sources when creating outreach materials and presentations.  
  • Some limited opportunities to serve as an “accountability buddy” providing individual mentoring to assist students in accomplishing their  academic goals may also be available. Priority for this opportunity will be given to second-year (returning) Peer Fellows. (This service was temporarily suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions and may be returning during the 2024-2025 academic year.)
    • Peer Fellows serving as “accountability buddies” are typically referred students who could benefit from additional support in areas such as:
        • Time management
        • Organizational skills 
        • Setting SMART goals 
        • Building effective study habits 
        • Connecting with campus resources (e.g., the Academic Resource Center, the Learning Emporium, the Writing Center, the Women’s Center, LGBTQ+ Center, Student Recreation Services, and campus-affiliated clubs and events)

Note: Peer Fellows DO NOT provide personal counseling services. Instead, they serve as an additional layer of support for their peers. 

Peer Fellows will also complete professional development assignments and program evaluations through the Laulima learning community website for OSA Fellowship recipients.

 

QLC Building

Eligibility Requirements:

    • UH Mānoa enrolled full-time student (12 or more credits for undergraduates; typically 8 or more credits for graduate students). Students must maintain their full-time status in order to continue in the program.
    • Junior credit standing or higher (graduate students accepted)
    • Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (GPA must be UHM GPA; transfer students may apply, and if selected, must maintain a UHM GPA of 3.0 or above to continue in the program.)
    • Availability to work 12-15 hours/week during Fall 2024 and Spring 2025. At least 6-12 hours should include availability to be in-person at the CSDC during normal hours, Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Desired Qualifications:

    • Passion for improving student mental health. 
    • Interest in and enthusiasm about the Peer Fellow program. Peer Fellow program aligns with career and/or personal goals. Experience or interest in presentations and outreach to the college campus.
    • Collaborative, good interpersonal skills, and ability to work with professionals, programs, and peers. Experience with and/or interest in working as part of a team. 
    • Self-motivated, proactive learner, shows initiative and persistence, organized, strong writing ability, strong academic background, and attention to detail. Ability to manage time, stress, and juggle multiple commitments. 
    • Knowledge of/involvement in the UHM community, student life, and campus resources. Knowledge of the CSDC and the Peer Fellow program.
    • Availability for occasional evening or weekend outreach events.  
    • Flexible schedule M-F 8:30 am - 4:30 pm to facilitate attendance of the Peer Fellow seminar. Final seminar time will be scheduled based on the availability of the accepted class of Peer Fellows. Seminar attendance is mandatory.
    • Excellent professional and/or professor references. 

Compensation:

    • $2,500 stipend per semester
    • As noted above, students must maintain their full-time status and UHM GPA in order to continue in the program
    • Receiving the stipend can sometimes impact students’ financial aid packages. Please check with Financial Aid Services to see how your package would be impacted, https://manoa.hawaii.edu/fas/. 

To Apply:

    1. Please download our application form here. To download, go to File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx). (The form is set up for download only, so the linked document can’t be edited directly through Google docs.)
    2. Please complete the application form. Incomplete forms will not be considered.
    3. Please save all application materials as PDF files before submitting. Please submit the completed application and a current resume via UH FileDrop (https://www.hawaii.edu/filedrop/) to Dr. Jesse Hutchison (jesse93@hawaii.edu) and Dr. Julie Nishihira (juliel@hawaii.edu).
    4. Please do not send your application documents by email as it is not secure and confidential.

    Deadline: Applications will not be accepted after Friday, May 24th, 2024 11:59 PM.

    Your application will be reviewed, and if selected, you will be contacted by Dr. Jesse Hutchison or Dr. Julie Nishihira during early June 2024 to schedule an interview via Zoom. Interviews will be held during June 2024 via Zoom. References of interview finalists will be contacted after the interview is complete. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Julie Nishihira (juliel@hawaii.edu).