Stephani Butters

Agency: UA MERITS Program

Term: Fall - 2003

For my internship I am working at the University of Arizona as a peer advisor for the MERITS Program. MERITS stands for Maximum Educational Results in Two Semesters and is focused on helping first year students make a smooth transition from high school to the many new challenges of college. This program is available to all first year students who are an ethnic minority or receiving need-based financial aid. The program serves these students with the help of the peer advisors. As a peer advisor, I plan and facilitate a weekly workshop on such topics as time management, money management, diversity, and communication in conflict. In addition to the weekly workshops with a group of up to 15 students, each peer advisor meets with students individually for up to an hour every other week to discuss individual issues. The peer advisor offers advice and guidance as well as understanding and referrals to various services on campus.

I decided that this was the internship for me because it helped me to explore several areas in social services that I had not yet experienced as well as clients that I had not previously dealt with. We were given training in paraprofessional counseling and are daily given the opportunity to use and enhance those skills. I am hoping to take the skills that I am developing in this internship and use them in whatever field that I decide to go into. Currently I am considering working with recreational programs in development or facilitation. Planning and implementing workshops for the MERITS Program will help me in any future position and the paraprofessional counseling skills will help me to make the personal connections with the youth I hope to work with.

I have already learned so much from this internship and continue to learn on a daily basis. I have learned so much from the diversity in my students and have come to realize and work on many of my weaknesses. I have learned to be a better and more effective listener as well as how to work with many different personality types. I have enhanced my time management skills and have become a more efficient self-starter as a demand of the position.

I already treasure all of the relationships that have begun to develop between my students and me. They want to share their experiences with me and I treasure that. I would recommend any one considering this position for a possible internship be tolerant and understanding. The first year of college is tough for everyone and to be able to deal with and counsel these first year students you need to be able to relate and remember what it was like when you were in that position. My students have shared with me their frustrations and their excitements. They are proud and know I will be proud of them when they do well on an exam or paper. When they come to me with less than exemplary grades they ask what they should do and together we come up with a course of action for them.

I truly enjoy being that person in the first year of someone’s college career. As a peer advisor you are able to potentially play a role that will help a student make it to there second year of college and eventually to graduation. Being in a position where a little caring and time can make such a huge difference makes every hour spent well worth it.

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