CASNR Ag Pal Program looks for volunteer mentors
If you're enthusiastic, friendly and proud of your college and university, then Texas Tech University's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Ag Pal Program might be a great fit for you, program officials reported today. Students interested in participating in the program as an Ag Pal Mentor should sign up in at CASNR's Student Services Center prior to May 15.
"Ag Pal Program is an innovative, collective effort dedicated to facilitating new students' transition to Tech, keeping them in good standing with the university, and forming a lasting bond between students enrolled in the college," noted Lori Dudley, CASNR's Coordinator of Student Development.
The program pairs current undergraduate students as mentors with incoming freshmen for leadership, guidance, and friendship in an effort to make their CASNR transition as seamless and successful as possible.
Ag Mentor Teams. According to Dudley, the multi-faceted program matches CASNR student volunteers with 2-3 incoming freshmen each. Working in conjunction with their Ag Mentor Teams, mentors participate in a number of activities designed to assist them in getting to know their Ag Pals while they plan future activities and events.
With two Ag Mentors having 4-6 Ag Pals between them, she said, the program allows incoming students to meet and network with more people beyond their single Ag Mentor "" and, as more teams decide to work together, the support and mentorship network grows exponentially, bringing all of the participants closer together.
Activity-Based. Dudley stressed that much of the success of the Ag Pal Program rests with the dedication and enthusiasm of its mentors. As a result, many of its activities are designed to capitalize upon the strengths and spirit of its CASNR student volunteers.
Mentors contact their Ag Pals prior to the fall semester and meet them their first week at Texas Tech. "They help them move into their residence halls, take them out to eat, to enjoy a movie, or accompany them to one of the many activities that make the early fall semester so fun at Tech "" like Ag Fest," she said. "They then continue to plan and participate in events together throughout the academic year."
Welcome to Tech. In addition, Dudley indicated, all Ag Mentors create 'Welcome Baskets' for each of their Ag Pals. The baskets are placed in their Ag Pal's dorm room prior to them moving in. "The purpose of the welcome baskets is to give each person some TTU items and to help them feel at home and as a welcome part of the CASNR and Red Raider communities," she said.
CASNR's Student Services Center also creates message boards decorated with college references, their name, and class year for their Ag Pals' residence hall room door, Dudley said. These message boards not only welcome incoming freshmen to Tech, they allow CASNR students to get acquainted with one another and to raise their awareness of other CASNR students in their residence hall, she said.
Written by Sean Cleveland
CONTACT: Lori Dudley, Coordinator of Student Development, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at lori.dudley@ttu.edu or (806) 742-2808
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