EOF Peer Mentoring Proves Successful in Retention, Belonging
As a peer mentor in the Educational Opportunity Fund's Peer Mentorship Program, Health Sciences major Wendy Martinez meets with her mentee, Julissa Perez, to connect her with resources and support each other on their academic journeys here at Stockton University.
Galloway, N.J. – “Growing up, I felt like I was never heard. With my mentees, I always felt heard. They would take my advice and apply it to their lives, whether it was something small or something serious. I could tell that I was really their comfort person when they needed someone to talk to.”
When pitching the idea for a peer mentorship program designed to build connections between cohorts of Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) students, Student Success Coach Naheel Naber couldn’t have predicted the positive impact that it would have on students like Biology major Emelie Mayorga, who signed up to become one of the first mentors of the program.
With encouragement from her colleagues, Naber submitted a grant application to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education’s Special Project Fund, proposing a program designed for students to receive academic and social/emotional support and career guidance while developing their leadership skills and getting involved on campus.
Now in its second year, the EOF peer mentorship program is supported by a total of $79,250 in grants.
After undergoing training that emphasized relationship building, progress assessment, reporting logistics and Stockton University-specific policies and procedures, peer mentors like Mayorga were then matched with peer mentees based on self-assessment profiles.
The mentors and mentees were both responsible for meeting at least once a week. Following each meeting, mentors submitted meeting logs to share mentee progress with – as well as relay any concerns to – the EOF staff.
There’s no better demonstration of the positive impact that the program has on students than through their experiences. Out of the 17 student mentors who piloted the program in 2023, 15 of them (including Mayorga) decided to continue being mentors and reapplied.
They are now a part of the 50 student mentors currently enrolled in the program, thanks to the supplemental funding Naber secured this October.
“One of my favorite things about being an EOF mentor was honestly just being there for my mentees,” Mayorga of Toms River said. “I loved to listen to them talk about what was going on in their lives, what plans they had for the future, or anything random. I really enjoyed my time getting to know every single mentee I had. Not only did I help them out, but they helped me out, too: I took some of their stories as advice and learned from their personal experiences.”
As a first-generation student, Health Sciences major Wendy Martinez of Toms River was grateful for the guidance that her peer mentor, fellow Health Sciences major Grace Muñoz, provided – this led her to take the plunge and become a mentor herself. She now meets with student Julissa Perez on a weekly basis.
“The most memorable part of being a mentee was how much support I got from my first mentor ever. I didn’t know that a mentor could become such a close friend to you,” Martinez said. “If I didn’t have a mentor, I feel like I wouldn’t have been as open to activities – although Stockton offers resources, I felt more comfortable with my mentor.”
My favorite aspects of being an EOF mentor are enjoying the satisfaction of guiding all my students through their educational journey, witnessing their achievements and growth as individuals while contributing to their own personal and academic development and building strong and meaningful connections.
Criminal Justice major
One of the strengths of the EOF peer mentor program is the students' access to mentors who have experience in and out of campus. It is a very helpful resource, especially for first-year students. Mentors can become a center of guidance if they ever need any help with anything school-related or even personal matters.
Computer Science major
“I always wanted to guide the incoming first-years of college and to put them on a good path with not as many challenges as I did,” Martinez continued. “As a first-generation student, I wanted to guide the incomers through the college process like I was by my mentor.”
Naber hopes the program will continue to grow – she’s currently working on how to involve Stockton EOF alumni and what kind of role they can play in current students’ leadership and academic development.
“Increased retention is one of our biggest goals for this program,” Naber said. “It’s really hard for students, especially first-generation, minority, or low-income students, to be retained in predominately white institutions because they can lack a sense of belonging or inclusion.
“We don’t want just to encourage mentorship for academic progress and a higher GPA – we want them to build and be a part of a community,” Naber continued. “They do gain a community through the Summer Academy, but then some struggle with maintaining that, so this program is meant to provide another level of connecting with other EOF students who weren’t a part of your summer cohort.”
– Story by Loukaia Taylor
– Photos by Susan Allen
EOF Emphasizes Importance of Community, Connection
August 6, 2024
Galloway, N.J. – “EOF” is more than just an acronym for Educational Opportunity Fund at Stockton. It stands for “Extension of Family,” as demonstrated by the strength of the community of students, staff and faculty who participated in the program.
Over the last 50 years, EOF has become a beacon of hope and an avenue for marginalized and underserved students to access higher education and upward mobility. Through the program, eligible students receive the tools and resources that they need to prepare for, excel in and graduate from colleges and universities in New Jersey.
This year, 115 eligible students participated in Stockton’s EOF Summer Academy, living on the Galloway campus and spending a month learning, developing leadership skills and building social connections. When they return for fall classes on Sept. 5, EOF students will have a network of peers and faculty and be prepared to navigate courses, on-campus employment, and student clubs during the academic year.
This sets them up for success. In fact, 95-98% of EOF students from 2021-2023 persisted past the first semester, according to Ana DeNise, director of EOF at Stockton and alumna of Georgian Court University’s EOF program.
“There's anecdotal data that illustrates the importance of the Summer Academy in terms of setting them up to be prepared for the academic rigor and time management that they’ll need, so the students do feel supported, and their confidence increases from summer to fall,” DeNise said.
