Dylan
BA (Hons) Business Management
Becoming a Peer Mentor let me be the person I wish I'd had. Now, as Senior Peer Mentor, I'm here so that no one has to figure it out alone.
Being a Peer Mentor
I have moved a lot in my life: South Africa, Tanzania, Myanmar, Cape Town, and eventually Newcastle. Every time I arrived somewhere new, I went through the same quiet process: learning the unwritten rules, working out who I could ask for help, figuring out where I belonged. It looks fine from the outside, but on the inside it can feel incredibly lonely, especially in those first few weeks when everyone around you seems to have already figured it out. That feeling never quite leaves you, and it's a huge part of why I became a Peer Mentor in the first place.
I wanted to be the person I sometimes wished I'd had, someone a little further along who would just sit with you, be honest, and remind you that what you're feeling is completely normal. Some of my favourite moments this year happened outside of any planned meeting: a quick message from a mentee saying they'd submitted their first assignment, a conversation over coffee that started with a question about module choices and ended up being about whether they were in the right place at all. One of my mentees was struggling badly with homesickness in the first few weeks. She hadn't told anyone, and I only found out because I'd made a point of reaching out to each of them individually rather than waiting for them to come to me. Being able to point her towards the right support, and then check in on her afterwards to see how she was doing, is something I won't forget.
Coming back for a second year as a Peer Mentor was never really a question. One year wasn't enough to give back everything I'd been given. Some of my mentees have become real, lasting friends, and watching them grow in confidence over the year, knowing I played some small part in that, is something I'll carry with me long after I've left Newcastle.
This year I've taken on the Senior Peer Mentor role for Newcastle University Business School - a new position and a pilot, which in itself means a lot to me. Where I once poured my energy into supporting a group of first years, I now get to hold space for our Peer Mentors themselves: the people doing exactly what I once did, carrying exactly the responsibility I once carried. Being trusted to help build something from scratch, and to be a point of contact for first-year students who need a little more than a standard check-in, is exactly the kind of responsibility I wanted to grow into.
I know how it feels to worry you're not doing enough, to second-guess a tricky conversation with a mentee, or to simply need someone to talk it through with. That's who I want to be for our mentors: a steady, reassuring presence they can turn to, someone who's walked the exact path they're on. I'm not here to have all the answers, I'm here to think through them together, share what worked (and honestly, what didn't) in my own year, and make sure every Peer Mentor feels as supported in their role as we ask them to make their mentees feel in theirs.
Benefits of being a Peer Mentor
I didn't fully expect how much this role would give back to me. I signed up wanting to help other people, and I ended up learning a great deal about myself in the process. It made me more patient, more attentive to the things people don't quite say out loud, and more confident navigating situations I'd never encountered before. Stepping into the Senior Peer Mentor role has only deepened that; it's taught me what it really means to lead with care rather than authority, and to support people quietly, in the background, so they can shine in the roles they've taken on.
I hold the Vice Chancellor's Scholarship of Excellence, and when I think about what that means to me, the Peer Mentor role is part of the answer. Academic results are one thing, but the experiences that have genuinely shaped who I am this year have been the ones where I showed up for other people.
To anyone thinking of becoming a Peer Mentor - be approachable, not perfect; you don't need every answer, just the willingness to sit with someone and figure it out together. Check in even when it feels small, because a simple message can mean the world to someone who's feeling lost. Be patient; everyone finds their footing at their own pace, and that's okay. And lean on your fellow mentors too; this was never meant to be carried alone. If you're on the fence, I'd say do it, wholeheartedly. It's given me friendships I'll keep for life, a version of myself I'm proud of, and the quiet privilege of watching someone else find their place here, the same way I once did.
To any first year student who finds their way to this profile - your Peer Mentor is not there to judge you, fix you, or have all the answers. We're there because we remember what this felt like, and we want your experience to be a little easier than ours was. If you need support that goes beyond what your Peer Mentor can offer, or you're not sure where to turn, please get in touch. I've navigated a lot of new beginnings in my life, and I know that asking for help is often the hardest and most important step. I'm here, and I'm glad you found this.