Academic success doesn’t only happen within the four walls of a classroom. For UNCG students it takes many forms like experiential learning, connecting with others, and sharing knowledge. That is exactly what a group of UNCG student peer educators did on April 5 when they traveled to NC State University to attend the NC Peer Educators Conference.
The conference, which has been held at various universities in North Carolina for the past 16 years, gives students the opportunity to meet with other peer educators across the state and share ideas and best practices with other college students who are committed to academic success.
Eleven peer educators who work in the Academic Achievement Center and Communication Lab attended the conference, with nine of them presenting. Topics students presented included “You, Me, and AI: The Importance of Having Human Feedback,” “Empowering Students Where They Are: Authenticity in Online and F2F Sessions,” “Breaking Through Tech Barriers to Achieve Academic Success” and “Introspection and Identity: The Influences of a Peer Tutor.”
Communication Lab Consultant Abby Stubblefield attended and presented at the conference because she knows how important peer education is for college students. “We are a middle ground between a student and an instructor,” she says. “We are students as well as employees, so we have that special status of actively participating in schooling while we assist our peers. That allows students to open up to us in a way they may not feel comfortable with their instructors.”
The strengths and preparation of UNCG students shone throughout their well-attended presentations. Assistant Director of the Communication Lab Olivia King, who attended as an administrator, says, “Being a peer consultant, coach, or tutor provides so many wonderful experiences for students, and it enables them to become more confident communicators and leaders. This was apparent in the presentations our students gave, where they proudly represented UNCG. They were prepared and engaged with the audience, and able to answer all questions asked by other peer educators and faculty.”
For many of the students, the conference was more than just a professional development opportunity. It was a chance to find community and inspiration among like-minded peers. “It was great to be able to relate to other peer educators,” says Academic Achievement Center Peer Coach Richard Kpangbai, “And see how other peer tutors, coaches, consultants, and supplemental instructors at other universities work and manage their own lives as full-time students and peer educators. Meeting everyone from different centers at UNCG and other schools helped me better understand how to navigate campus resources and understand myself more. It really showed that I am not alone in this and most of us are going through similar things, so it was a moment of relief.
The students’ participation in the conference reflects UNCG’s commitment to student leadership and peer-supported learning. Through opportunities like this, peer educators are able to develop critical skills – public speaking, leadership, and collaboration – while also building their confidence and expanding their academic networks.
