I think the FIG Mentor position is mostly about giving first year students a place to find what will make them happy in college while simultaneously being as successful as they can be, and this is done through many ways. One of which is a group of potential friends, of course. A FIG Mentor really strives to create a connection between the group. In the first few weeks of my FIG, my mentor had us play a scavenger hunt, survival island, never have I ever, and many other games that not only allowed us to all get to know each other, but laugh a lot and enjoy the process. There is also event planning such a movie nights, Friendsgiving, white elephant, and group dinners all to diffuse the awkwardness and make everyone feel included. On top …show more content…
Moving from California to Texas the summer before my freshman year of high school really gave me the opportunity to grow as a person, especially when it came to talking to new people. I learned to be comfortable with talking to strangers, creating friend groups, and being personable. These skills are important because students should feel comfortable talking to their mentor and view them as more as an advice giver than a nerve racking professor. Not only that, however, in order to effectively get all the information out to the first years because there has to be good organization skills and communication between the mentor and facilitator. Working as a team is what makes a FIG successful, so being able to work with others is also important, something that I learned through part-time jobs. What I think I bring that is most critical, however, is such a positive experience with my own FIG and how I will try to make the FIG I help lead have as great of an experience as I did. Because of that, I would bring excitement, motivation, and encouragement to the students as well. Many people have skills that would be valuable in a FIG Mentor, but not all of them had the same incredible experience I did in mine and because of that, I have the perspective of a FIG not only being beneficial academically wise, but also as a way