Students Helping Students to Succeed

As the fall semester approaches, students new to the College sometimes need assistance figuring out where and how to enroll and register for classes.

At Community College of Philadelphia, these new students get a helping hand from their peers.

A prospective student wandered into the lobby of the 1500 Spring Garden Street Building on July 31, announcing to the security guard she was lost and “looking for a program” on the Main Campus. With a little assistance from a College intern and a friend, the young lady was able to determine the student support program she sought was located in the Bonnell Building.

By the time the student arrived there, she was anxious and worried. As she opened the door, a student orientation leader immediately walked over and greeted her with a smile. “Do you need help with anything?” he asked. The young man then led her to a check-in table, where she was introduced to an experienced student who would guide and mentor her as she navigated the remainder of the registration process.

Student Cassandra Sanchez, who serves as a student orientation leader for Student Life, says she gets a deep sense of satisfaction from helping her peers. “We are the first face they see,” says Sanchez.

Throughout the year, student orientation leaders are on standby during busy enrollment periods to take new enrollees on tours, answer questions, put them more at ease and refer them to campus resources. The leaders are paid student workers at the College.

The initiative began in spring 2010 and has received rave reviews, according to David Greene, the director of Student Life. “Their job is to make sure students feel welcome from the very beginning.”

Research indicates positive interactions with fellow students can foster student success.

“No one knows better what they are going through than students who have recently been through the same experience,” Greene said. “They are seeing a student who is a success, a student who is active on campus. They are seeing themselves and their possibilities. That is what we want them to see.”