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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 Co-Coordinators of Peer Fellow Program
  • Participating in programming and outreach, which may include:
      • Tabling at large-scale campus events 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 time management, organizational skills, self-care, and campus resources
  • Providing individual mentoring to assist students in accomplishing their personal goals (This service was temporarily suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions and will be returning during the 2023-2024 academic year.)
    • Peer fellows are typically referred students who could benefit from additional support in areas such as:
      • Time management
      • Stress management
      • Self-care
      • Connecting with campus resources (e.g., the Learning Assistance Center, 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). Students must maintain their full-time status in order to continue in the program.
    • Junior credits 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 2023 and Spring 2024. 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:

    • Good interpersonal skills and ability to work with professionals, programs, and peers
    • Knowledge of/involvement in the UHM community, student life, and campus resources.
    • Experience or interest in presentations or outreach to the college campus
    • Self-motivated, proactive learner
    • Desire to develop own communications skills

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

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 submit the completed application, a current resume, and an optional list of three professional references via UH FileDrop (https://www.hawaii.edu/filedrop/) to Dr. Jesse Hutchison (jesse93@hawaii.edu). 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 26th, 2023 11:59 PM.

    Your application will be reviewed, and if selected, you will be contacted by Dr. Jesse Hutchison during the week of June 5, 2023 to schedule an interview via Zoom. Interviews will be held during the weeks of June 12th and June 19th, 2023.

    If you have any questions for concerns, please contact Dr. Julie Nishihira (juliel@hawaii.edu).