You’ve finally enrolled in college – now what?
For many Student Leadership Network alumni, especially those who are the first in their families to attend college, the transition to a college environment can be both exciting and overwhelming. Our Alumni Engagement team’s Bridge Through College program supports alumni in persisting through college and graduating, with a focus on financial aid renewal, and financial and academic planning.
Our Peer Leaders are the cornerstone of Bridge Through College’s work with our first-year students. Alumni who are in their junior or senior years of college serve as peer mentors to first-year alumni at nine CUNYs across the city. Peer Leaders are just a text message away, ready to provide advice and host events with peers across different campuses. They offer help with navigating the CUNY system, setting goals, and developing a social network. “Our staff continues to offer a broad range of alumni resources,” said Pamela Jones, Director of Alumni Engagement, “but we know from student feedback and from research studies that peer support models are really effective at building community and helping new students navigate college spaces.”
Bridge Through College is currently open to CollegeBound Initiative first-year students at nine CUNY schools:
• Bronx Community College
• Borough of Manhattan Community College
• The City College of New York
• Hunter College
• John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• LaGuardia Community College
• Lehman College
• New York City College of Technology
• Stella and Charles Guttman Community College
The program has expanded from under 100 alumni in its pilot year to nearly 250 today, and is still growing. Key to its growth was listening to student feedback. “At first, we matched Peer Leaders only with alumni who were attending the same college,” shared Gabrielle Lloyd, Alumni Engagement Manager. “Then alumni told us that the specific college affiliation didn’t matter as much as community building and navigating CUNY systems overall. We adapted our model to offer the Peer Leaders’ guidance to as many first-year alumni as possible within those nine schools.” Let’s give a warm welcome to this year’s Peer Leaders!
Meet Our Peer Leaders
Lauren B.
Peer Leader for John Jay and LaGuardia
Lauren is majoring in political science and minoring in digital media and journalism. She shared why she is excited to be a Peer Leader this year:
“I want to create a sense of belonging for my students as they transition from high school to college. I know what it’s like to feel out of place, especially because I started college during the pandemic. I plan on facilitating more group activities and icebreakers so students can build their own community on campus.”
Ermina C.
Peer Leader for Lehman, City Tech, and BMCC
Ermina received mentorship and guidance from a Peer Leader in her first year of college, who she credits with alleviating her stresses and being very accessible on text messages. Now a junior majoring in economics, Ermina is sharing her knowledge with other alumni.
“Being an alum from Bridge Through College has inspired me to become a Peer Leader myself as I’ve utilized so many of the resources provided from SL Network. I hope to create a space where students feel more comfortable to express any of their concerns and be more confident!”
Mohammed F.
Peer Leader for City College and Bronx Community College
Mohammed is double majoring in human biology and psychology, with a concentration in clinical psychology. As a first generation college student, he found himself facing unfamiliar processes such as class registration, financial aid renewal, and transfer opportunities largely on his own. His experiences motivated him to pave a less stressful path for current first year college students.
“I am here so you do not have to go through the same thing alone. I can help you navigate throughout college and make it an enjoyable experience!”
Mayisha F.
Peer Leader for Hunter and Guttman
Mayisha is majoring in Education and doing student observation fieldwork this year. Despite her packed schedule, she is excited to help new alumni on their college journeys.
“As a future educator, my passion is driven by the transformative power of education. As a Peer Leader for SL Network, I want to empower students to uncover their college passions and provide support on their path to success. I find the program’s mission rewarding and meaningful, and I’m grateful to be a part of it.”