The TRIO SSS STEM Peer Mentoring project at Big Bend Community College pairs TRIO STEM Scholars with Mentors who are BBCC alum and are pursuing a STEM major at a four-year institution. Through one-on-one meetings and group workshops, the peer mentors provide a space for mentees to enhance their sense of belonging in the STEM field, and gain knowledge to increase success in the transfer process. The meeting topics and accompanying materials as outlined in the Program Syllabus can be found lower down on this page.
Mentees can access the Peer Mentoring Program Syllabus Here. (Those starting the program in Winter quarter, please use this syllabus)
Alice Chamberlin
I had a lot of support while I was at Big Bend, and I became a peer mentor so I could help give back to the community and students at Big Bend. I love the STEM field and I hope to help other students find joy and opportunity in it as well!
Hey, my name is Cooper. I’m currently a first year at Washington State University studying Mechanical Engineering. I am also working on minors in Mathematics and Materials Science and Engineering. I grew up in Warden, Washington, and graduated from Warden High School and Big Bend this past June. I graduated with my Associate of Science Transfer Track 2, specialized in engineering. I plan to graduate WSU in 2027.
I decided to be a STEM Mentor for TRIO because I enjoy the field of STEM, and getting others excited about the possibilities of STEM. I enjoy learning new STEM topics that build on already established knowledge. I like learning why the things that we learn work. I want to help other students understand the field of STEM and why I find it so amazing. I realize how difficult the STEM field can be, so I want to provide a solid support for any students that need it.
Introductions & Get to Know You Activity!
Before you get started on the getting to know you activity (below), tell your mentor a little bit about you such as:
Then, go through the Getting to Know You activity together. Please note you don’t have to answer all of the questions, but try to get to as many as you can that can give your mentor a good foundation as to who you are and what your interests are.
Then answer the following questions:
Finally, go over the STEM Peer Mentoring Agreement with your Mentor, being sure to read through the whole agreement and asking any questions you may have.
LASSI
The Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) is an assessment that measures your learning and study practices and attitudes across 10 different metrics. Each metric is scored on a percentile system from 1-99 , with scores from 75-99 not requiring much attention, scores between 50-75 needing some attention, and anything below 50 requiring the most attention in improving.
The 10 items measured are:
Upon completion of the assessment, you are emailed their results and can begin working on the Prescriptions, which will help you improve in the areas in which you scored the lowest. If you have not yet completed the LASSI prior to this meeting with your mentor, please contact your advisor for instructions on how to take the assessment.
Time Management
Time management is SO important, especially when completing courses online. Most online courses are accessible at any time of the day. Many students are completing their first or second rounds of quizzes, have papers due, and are preparing or taking exams. This means that students may be feeling stressed and for our new students may be adjusting to the rigor of college.
Tom Willingham, former Computer Science Specialist at BBCC, has developed a video outlining a time management technique that helps students (and professionals) sort out all of the tasks that they have in their life into 4 main categories: Urgent/ Important, Less Urgent/Important, Not Yet Urgent/ Not Important, and Not Important/Not Urgent. Please view the video together with your mentor!
Pear Deck Tutor
While BBCC does offer free in-person tutoring via the STEM Center and the Writing Center, not all students are able to attend tutoring during their open hours, or may need some additional tutoring on the weekends. Pear Deck offers students 2 hours per week (with the potential to add more time) of virtual, 1 on 1, real time tutoring in a variety of subjects. Simply choose your topic, look at the tutors who are available right now, and get matched up to begin your tutoring session. You can favorite tutors you enjoy working with, so you can attempt to get matched up with them again in the future.
You are either preparing to apply to colleges/universities or soon will be. This can be a stressful process, but by understanding the steps to transfer, you can take control of your time and have a clear expectation of what needs to get done and when. Here are some key ideas to be aware of as you prepare to transfer:
1. Apply before the PRIORITY DEADLINE. Most schools fill their next year’s class from applicants that submit their application by the priority deadline. Although you may be able to apply after this date, it is likely that it will be more difficult to get admitted and you may not get the first choice on registration, orientation, or housing.
2. You may be applying more than once! It’s very common for the university and its programs to have separate admissions applications, due dates, and requirements. For example, if you are going into EWU’s Mechanical Engineering program, the admissions application is due February 1. However, you need to complete math, science, and engineering pre-requisites before completing a SECOND application to their Engineering program. That application is completed the first week of the quarter, the quarter before you want to enter the program.
3. Gather important deadline dates and plan ahead. Each university will have its own deadlines. Pay attention to admissions, financial aid, scholarship, housing, and major/department application due dates.
4. What type of transfer student are you? How does this impact your admissions requirements?
5. Complete the FAFSA/WASFA BEFORE you apply! Both applications opened up on October 1. Use 2020 financial records to complete the 2022-23 FAFSA/WASFA. Send it to ALL of the schools that you plan on applying to.
6. Scholarships! Spend time completing the scholarship application. Most universities offer both financial-need and merit-based scholarships. We will go into more details in the next mentor meeting!!
7. How can BBCC help?!
Guiding Questions/ Activities:
1. Research a college/university and program of interest with your mentor. Write down all of the due dates including university admission, program admission, financial aid, scholarship, and housing (if applicable). Make a plan together of when you will start and complete each task.
Note: You can use Pathful Explore to see which universities in our area have majors that will help you land the job/or job area that you are pursuing.
2. Identify any certification or pre-requisite course requirements and use the University’s Equivalency Guide to map out if they are available at Big Bend.
3. Write a list of questions that you have about the transfer process and talk together about what resources at Big Bend or the transfer school can provide answers.
4. Mentor, please share your experiences applying to transfer institutions. What went well? Were there any hiccups along the way? How did you get admitted into your major? What did you do after you received your admissions acceptance letter?
5. How are you feeling about the process? What questions do you still have? How can you get them answered? Make a plan!
Your mentor will go over a Transfer Education Plan with you based on your current student status (first-year or continuing). Please watch the following video as well for some additional tips.
If ever there was a time to take care of ourselves, we are living it now! In addition to the stresses of everyday life, being a student is hard. All of this can take a serious toll on your ability to do well in school, including feeling burnt out, unmotivated, lethargic, drained, and even getting sick. Self-care is all about balancing priorities and making space for personal wellness.
This meeting focuses on examining how one can take care of themselves and what we can do to make healthy lifestyle choices.
Physical Self-Care
Physical self-care is centered on your taking care of your body in a physical manner. Here are some physical self-care tips. Yoga is also a great way to relax/destress. Below are some videos you and/or the mentee can reference on their own time.
Social Self-Care
Mental and Emotional Self-Care
The topic for this meeting is up to you and your mentor to decide! Use this time to catch up on a missed topic from earlier in the quarter, go more into depth on a topic you really enjoyed, or discuss whatever’s on your mind.
S. Specific: What will be accomplished? What actions take?
M. Measurable: What data will measure the goal? (How much? How well?
A. Achievable Is the goal doable? Do you have the necessary skills and resources?
R. Relevant: How does the goal align with broader goals? Why is the result important?
T. Time Bound: What is the time frame for accomplishing the goal?
This blog post from Pathful Explore explains the process further
They also have an interactive tool that lets you set short-term and long-term goals (will require you to login to Pathful Explore)
Applying to Your Transfer School
If you’re getting ready to graduate and transfer after this academic year and have not yet applied to your transfer school, this is a perfect opportunity to walk through the process with your mentor. They can help guide you along the process, providing any support and advice when needed. If you haven’t already, make sure you get a transfer application fee waiver from your advisor. You don’t actually need to apply right now, but you should be walking away from this meeting with a good idea of the steps involved and all of the information and supporting documents you will need.
Applying for Scholarships
What is a scholarship?
Scholarships are financial aid awards designed to help students pay for college (undergraduate or graduate degrees). Sometimes a scholarship is a one-time check. Other school scholarships are renewable and provide money for students each semester or school year.
These financial awards don’t have to be repaid. In addition, how a scholarship is received differs. Students might receive the money directly as a check in their name or the money is given to the student’s school. If there is funding still remaining after all college costs are awarded, the excess money is refunded to the student.
What do I need in order to apply for a scholarship?
All scholarships are unique, but the majority of them require the following information.
Scholarship tips:
How to write a scholarship essay
Step 1: The Planning Stage
Step 2: The Writing Stage
Step 3: The Editing Phase
If you’re transferring after this year, be sure to check your transfer school’s scholarship portal and apply for scholarships ahead of the deadline.
Budgeting and Financial Wellness
Budgeting
iGrad
FAFSA
Have you completed the FAFSA form for the 2025-2026 academic year?
Community Engagement
Community Engagement is a process that involves working with communities, groups, or individuals to address issues, make decisions, and solve problems that affect them. It can also be defined as a strategic approach to an organization’s community stakeholders, which involves building relationships, managing interactions, and developing communications. The goal is to achieve outcomes that benefit both the community and the organization.
Engagement is not generally driven by a ‘model’ so much as by a framework of guiding principles, strategies, and approaches. This framework is based on principles that respect the right of all community members to be informed, consulted, involved and empowered. Community engagement employs and range of tools and strategies to ensure success. It also places a premium on fostering and enhancing trust as a critical element in long-term, sustainable engagement and effective governance. To be successful, it must encompass strategies and processes that are sensitive to the community-context in which it occurs. https://aese.psu.edu/research/centers/cecd/engagement-toolbox/engagement/what-is-community-engagement
In recognizing the needs and aspirations of all participants, community engagement promotes the idea that, through intentional interactions between government organizations and communities, community members can – and do – influence policy making. That is, community engagement’s promise is to better engage community to help make better public decisions. It is, thereby, both an orientation toward the importance of community members’ lived experience to influence interactions between government organizations and communities, and an approach that guides the process of those interactions. https://granicus.com/blog/what-is-community-engagement/
Service Learning
Engaging in service learning is just one method of community engagement. A lot of available opportunities for service learning have arisen out of seeing a need in the community and some organization or group rise to fill that need. Service learning combines learning goals and community service in ways that enhance both student growth and the common good. Some college courses have a service learning project built into them, and a number of different parties can benefit from such a project. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/teaching-through-community-engagement/
TRIO is looking at ways that we can begin to incorporate models of service learning and community engagement into the program. Community service opportunities will become more common as we look at building partnerships within the community that TRIO and BBCC serves.
The topic for this meeting is up to you and your mentor to decide! Use this time to catch up on a missed topic from earlier in the quarter, go more into depth on a topic you really enjoyed, or discuss whatever’s on your mind.
Cultural Events
As a TRIO Scholar, you have access to occasional cultural events that are usually tied in with campus visits. They involve activities or experiences that students may not normally get to participate in for a variety of reasons, including the location, but also the costs. By actively participating and engaging in the STEM Peer Mentoring program, you will have additional access to a Cultural Event tied to the STEM Field, the details of which will vary from year to year.
One of the many benefits of attending a larger institution is that cultural events are often brought directly to campus, either by an outside group, or one of the student clubs hosting an event, and these are often made available for students to participate in at little to no cost. Your mentor should be able to share some opportunities that they’ve experienced at their campus and what they’ve enjoyed the most.
Experiential Learning
Experiential learning is an educational approach that emphasizes learning through practical experience, reflection, and action. It’s a process that involves students “learning by doing” and reflecting on their experiences. The goal is to help students develop a passion for learning and gain knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes. While many of our Professional Technical degrees offer these sorts of opportunities, they tend to be lacking among our transfer degree programs. Larger institutions often come with more resources, which means more opportunities for experiential learning.
Resume
Creating a Personal Statement
Cover Letter
The Interview
Follow Up
Developing leaderships skills is invaluable when it comes to your future school and career prospects. You don’t even need to strive to be in a leadership role yourself to benefit from developing strong leadership skills. Knowing what skills make a great leader can be extremely helpful when you begin to search for a leader yourself, whether that’s in a classroom, student club/organization, or your direct supervisor in your job. Here are some leadership skills you and your mentee can develop or look for in those you wish to follow:
Communication
Leaders should be able to communicate clearly and effectively, and actively listen to others. They should also be able to facilitate group conversations, and use nonverbal communication.
Conflict Resolution
Leaders should be able to resolve conflicts fairly and impartially, and address issues by considering different perspectives.
Relationship Building
Leaders should be able to build positive relationships with their team members, and understand their strengths and weaknesses. This can help leaders delegate tasks and communicate more effectively.
Self-Awareness
Leaders should understand themselves, including their personality traits, behaviors, and emotions. They should also be aware of how their actions impact others.
Integrity
Leaders should have a strong set of values, and make ethical choices that help their company maintain a positive image.
Passion
Leaders should be passionate about their work and team goals, and focus on performing at their best every day. This can inspire their team members to work hard and reach their own goals.
Professional Development
It’s never too early to begin thinking about professional development. Getting involved in clubs or organizations that support your major or career can be a really easy way to start working on building up your skills and stay knowledgeable about the newest developments in your field. Use this time to explore professional associations related to your chosen major or career path as well as any related student groups at your chosen transfer school.
There are a lot of things to keep in mind and consider when making the transition from Big Bend to your 4-year institution. In addition to the conversation with your mentor, please check out the following links for some additional advice on how to make a smooth transition.
https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2024/5-tips-for-a-healthy-transition-into-college-life
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ten-essential-tips-smooth-transition-university-life-graham-milton/
https://ahzassociates.co.uk/tips-to-adjust-with-university-life/
Your mentor will share with you a survey link where you can reflect on your time this year in the STEM Peer Mentoring program. Please provide us with honest feedback on what went well and what we can improve in the future. Try to have this survey completed prior to your final meeting with your mentor so that you can share your thoughts on the program with them as well. We appreciate you taking the time this year to engage with this program and hope that you have enjoyed your time with your mentor.