I believe that part of our success in life is defined by obtaining and fostering relationships with others. We can graduate from college, get a great job, make a lot of money, and have all the material things we need, but still not have true success.Our personal growth and success really depend on what we learn as we interact with others, whether it is with classmates, friends, partners, spouses, or even children.

The CCE Administration believes in the importance of our personal growth as it relates to interaction with others.

Joylynn Rasmussen, CCE student success & persistence coordinator, envisioned a program that would match returning students with new students in mentoring relationships.

Rasmussen started the program fall of 2007 with just seven mentors, and this year has seen it grow to 30 mentors. The mentors are CCE students who desire to help new students succeed at Guilford.

Mentors meet with their mentees one-on-one in order to provide encouragement and help.
The mentor provides a place that the mentee can ask questions, voice concerns, or receive guidance.

The mentor program is open to all CCE students.

Nicole Cornett, a CCE junior, is working with Rasmussen this year to train and help recruit CCE students as mentors. Cornett believes the strength of the program is the mentors themselves.

“They have a true heart to help others,” said Cornett. “They aren’t getting paid. They give their time and knowledge because they want to see others succeed.”

Cornett got involved with the program because she desires to help answer questions, listen to concerns, and just be a “shoulder to cry on” if that is what someone needs.

Senior Jennifer Agee participated in the program as a mentor because she wanted to provide support for someone. She believes that having a mentor when she first started classes would have made her transition into Guilford easier.

“It would have been nice to have a ‘go to’ person that I could depend on,” said Agee. “I wanted to get involved (with the program) so that I could be that person for someone else.”

Kimberly Hill began attending Guilford in the fall of 2007. She said, “I felt really out of place as an adult first-year student. I had been out of school for nearly 10 years and I had a fear that I would not fit in. I really needed to talk to someone that understood.”

CCE students often struggle with balancing the demands of classes, work, family, and even volunteer commitments. The mentors can’t change the pressures, but as CCE students they can relate and understand the unique problems that adult students face.

Another problem faced by new students is isolation. Most CCE students rush out of class to their next responsibility. There isn’t the cafeteria or the dorm room to connect with other students.

Hill recognized her isolation and decided to seek help from a mentor. She said, “I was able to communicate with someone and saw that I wasn’t alone.”

Agee agrees. “What better way to get off to a good start than to have guidance from someone who has been through what you are going through,” she said.

By getting involved in mentoring, you can widen your success at Guilford. You’ll not only complete your education with a potential for a successful job with great pay, but you’ll also find success when you invest in a relationship that will serve to enlighten and to encourage you and someone else.

For more information, contact Joylynn Rasmussen at [email protected].