LYNX LIFE LIBRARY

Peer leadership has been an integral part of my college experience since my freshman year. Instructors, advisors, and other staff and faculty members are incredibly helpful during the transition from high school to high education, but nothing compares to the insight given by peer leaders. When I look back on my first day of college, I remember how incredibly nervous I was to talk to professors and other people in positions of authority on campus. I opted to ask other students questions because I felt they were conscious of my position and anxieties in a way that faculty and staff didn’t. They had been in my shoes mere months or years before, and thus provided a level of understanding I couldn’t find elsewhere. Students who were more experienced than me offered all the perks of advice without the same power imbalance. Further, student leaders who work with the university offer these benefits and more because they have access to several resources across campus, get to see students on a regular basis, and offer a consistent support system throughout students’ first year in college. 

When I was given the opportunity to be this person for incoming freshmen and transfer students at CU Denver through the First Year Experience’s (FYE) Peer Advocate Leader (PAL) program in Spring 2022, I quickly jumped on it. While I had other students and TAs to support me my freshman year of college, my community college did not offer classes or programs with steady peer mentorship when I desperately wish they did. To have that support system that one could grow close with while simultaneously learning about campus resources and how to succeed in college is invaluable. FYE and the PAL program offered these benefits and more to incoming freshmen and transfer students and I was eager to be a part of something so indispensable. I began my PAL training in July 2022 and have been working with the PAL program ever since. 

PALs get the amazing opportunity to be paired with UNIV or First Year Seminar classes. Working closely with the instructors for these classes, PALs can get to know and assist their students and share different opportunities with them through event facilitation, in-class module presentations on topics and resources crucial for all CU Denver students, weekly announcements, one-on-one meetings with every student, and weekly class attendance. PALs also get certified through an international peer advocate certification organization, allowing PALs to add leadership experience and certificates to their resume. 

This persistent support from PALs gives students a safe space to ask questions and share concerns about their transition to college. Research has shown that FYE support, such as PALs, increases retention, graduation rates, and feelings of belongingness. Being able to say that, as a PAL, I have helped people feel as though they belong at CU Denver is a feeling that I will carry with me through the rest of my life and has given me the experience of running events, teaching, and one-on-one mentorship. Currently, I am the graduate assistant for the PAL program where I help train new PALs, run FYE events, and ensure the PAL program remains a vital and beneficial part of the first-year experience at CU Denver. 

If you are eager to help incoming students feel confident and welcome during their transition to CU Denver, the PAL program is the perfect job for you! PAL is opening our applications for the Fall 2025 semester on Monday, December 2nd. You will be able to find the application on our website starting December 2nd, and if you’re enrolled in an FYE class this semester, you will also receive information about it from your current PAL and professor. 

To be a PAL, you must be a at least second year student by the Fall 2025 semester, enrolled full-time at CU Denver (12 credit hours), and have a GPA of a 3.0 or higher. The application will close in mid-February 2025. We hope to see your application!