PEER MENTORS

Our mission as CalWORKs Peer Mentors is to give our hearts, time, and experience to motivate, support, and encourage our fellow student-parents and their families to thrive.

What is a Peer Mentor?

CalWORKs Peer Mentors are GCC CalWORKs students, just like you! Peer Mentors have lived through similar experiences, such as applying for CalWORKs and GAIN, taking noncredit ESL classes at Garfield, taking credit classes at Verdugo, figuring out their education major and career goals, balancing all the responsibilities and challenges of being a student-parent, and much, much more. Through one-on-one interactions with CalWORKs students (also known as Parent Scholars), Peer Mentors share their knowledge and lessons learned to help guide, support, and encourage CalWORKs students during new, confusing, and/or difficult times.

What Does a Peer Mentor Do?

A CalWORKs Peer Mentor:

Shares their knowledge and experience about GCC and CalWORKs
Provides support and guidance to students who need help or feel lost
Helps students to understand GCC or CalWORKs better
Helps students to stay focused on their education and career goals
Gives information and provides resources about GCC programs and services
Is a trusted ally or advocate to students
Is a positive role model to other GCC CalWORKs students

Benefits of Peer Mentoring

Working with a CalWORKs Peer Mentor can help you to:

Gain practical advice, encouragement, and support
Learn from the experience of others
Learn more about yourself
Increase your social and academic confidence
Become more empowered to make decisions
Develop your communication, study, networking, and personal skills
Develop strategies for dealing with both personal and academic issues

This program was a discovery for me this year. The first month I had conflicting feelings and I could not understand what the peer mentoring program really means and whether it was needed at all, but starting from the second month, I fell in love with this program with all my heart. This is really what I was missing at the beginning of my education.
Marina, 12/04/2020
CalWORKs gave me support and guidance when I started college and felt completely overwhelmed with all the new guidelines I had to fulfill to reach my goals. As a Peer Mentor, it has been a pleasure giving back to this program by providing communication, motivation on a personal level for all students in CalWORKs that may come across any situation that they may not be familiar with.
Marycruz, 12/03/2020
Peer mentoring is my first experience working in an American professional environment. This program helped me gain so much knowledge and experience. I discovered new skills I was not sure I had. Now I have confidence and know that I can achieve anything I want. This would be impossible or at least very hard without the team I work with. It is an absolute blessing for me and my children.
Ani B., 12/04/2020
Margarita is my mentor. She is amazing, always willing to support me whenever I need her help. Margarita is very attentive, lovely and responsible person. She is always there to help me with all the issues that arise during the semester. It is very important to work with someone who is well-informed about everything associated not only with GCC, but also whatever possible directed towards the improvement of the learning environment. I can call her any time, she is ready to provide me with information I need to achieve better results in education. Thank you again for the opportunity of making the education process smooth and pleasant.
Armenuhi S., 12/07/2020

FAQs: Are Peer Mentors available 24/7?

Can Peer Mentors help me with my school assignments? Or complete my GAIN documents?

Can students and Peer Mentors have a relationship outside of GCC, CalWORKs?

Can Peer Mentors make decisions for me?

How is a Peer Mentor different from a Case Manager or Counselor?

Peer Mentors are GCC CalWORKs students, just like you! Although your Case Manager and Academic Counselor also provide information, resources, guidance, and support, Peer Mentors can have more first-hand and personal experiences about what it is like to be a GCC student and parent. You may also feel that you can share more with another student than with a professional college staff or faculty member.

How can I request to work with a Peer Mentor?

How can I apply to become a Peer Mentor?

CalWORKs Peer Mentors are paid work-study students of the CalWORKs Parents Program. Students who are interested in applying to become a Peer Mentor must meet our general work-study requirements and these additional requirements:

Have a GPA of 2.75 or higher
Have minimum of one year as a GCC CalWORKs student
Have an open GAIN Vocational program
Available for mandatory meetings and trainings on Wednesdays, 10 AM to 12 PM

Check here for more information and the CalWORKs Peer Mentor job description.

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