Supporting college students through peer mentoring: Serving immigrant students

Abstract

Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) Immigrant Services program enlists the support of peer mentors to provide holistic support to the institution’s immigrant, refugee, and English Language Learner (ELL) populations. These peer mentors are highly specialized in their student employee role and are trained to provide academic and personal support. Peer mentors support students with such issues as English writing support, scholarship applications, and connection to immigration resources. The Immigrant Services program at MSU Denver could not function without this student employment position. The Student Academic Success Center at the Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) hosts a variety of programs that support students in persisting through college. These programs scale from supporting the student population at-large to targeting specific populations that have been identified to need specialized support. The Immigrant Services Program provides support to a specific population of students at MSU Denver that includes immigrants, refugees, undocumented and Deferred Action Childhood Arrival (DACA) students, and English Language Learners (ELL). Highly trained peer mentors work with students individually and as a group to support their transition to college and onward through graduation.