For my second year project as an Environment and Natural Resources scholar, I’ve decided to be a mentor in order to give back to my scholars program. I chose this option because my experience as a first year in ENR was so transformational and I wanted to have the opportunity to help new first years get all of the wonderful things out of ENR that I did and more.

For this project, I will be mentoring a group of students through their first year of college. I hope to be a valuable resource for them by both being there for them on a personal level and on an academic and professional level. Through the position of mentor, I can answer questions that first years have about their assignments, networking, campus, where the best place to eat is, and how to just get through their first year successfully.

I hope this project benefits the first years in my saplings group the most because my intention in being a mentor is to create an atmosphere of acceptance and growth. I think this program in particular benefits the first years so that they feel less alone during their first time away from home and so they have someone that can answer their questions whenever they have them.

I also hope that I grow through this project by allowing myself to be a new type of leader. Instead of seeing leadership as someone standing before a crowd and rallying them, I hope to develop a more relaxed form of leadership so that I can find different ways to make sure everyone I care about currently and in the future has everything they need to be successful and to stimulate their own personal growth.

I hope I truly am the resource that I know my saplings will need on their new college adventure and I hope I learn to be a more efficient leader and friend for the new people in the program that has given me so much.