OASIS Mentor Practicum:
A Transformational Process of Personal Growth and Peer Support
This presentation discusses experiential learning in the OASIS Mentor Practicum course (with Educational Program Studies 116) and subsequent peer-mentor work for those who are later hired as OASIS Academic Transition Counselors (ATCs). The Mentor Practicum focuses on the development of counseling skills, especially as they relate to issues that impact the retention of educationally disadvantaged, underrepresented, and first-year students at UC San Diego. The Mentor Practicum is designed to encourage students to think critically and to question their belief systems, while still honoring their cultures and identities. The curriculum involves learning about oppression (through the lens of the cycle of socialization(Harro, 2000b)), racism, classism, multiracial perspectives, LGBTQIA perspectives, sexism, and ableism. It ends with students developing strategies for social change and promoting the cycle of liberation (Harro, 2000a).
After completing the Mentor Practicum, students are qualified to apply for positions as OASIS ATCs. In this capacity, they serve as both the foundation for the residential life component of the OASIS Summer Bridge program and as key players in the retention and development of Summer Bridge students during their first year through the Academic Transition Program (ATP). Summer Bridge/ATP is designed to facilitate the academic and sociocultural adjustment of underrepresented students at UC San Diego, and ATCs contribute to this effort by conducting one-to-one counseling conferences, facilitating group meetings & discussions, and ensuring the development of a strong support network among ATP students.
Drawing on 3 current ATCs’ experiences, this presentation illustrates the types of transformational learning that occur during the Mentor Practicum as well as the ATC mentor position. This unique combination of classroom learning and work experience provides an opportunity for students to apply their newly acquired skills in a way that not only helps in their personal and professional development, but also contributes to the retention and success of underrepresented students.
Student Experiences
Jessica Lopez - Becoming a confident leader and inspiring others to learn and grow
Prior to mentor practicum I was capable of leading a group, but I truly became a confident leader once I took this practicum and became confident in my own beliefs. The space that practicum creates is one in which my peers and I could agree to disagree, and it gave me insight into how meaningful and controversial conversations take place, and it helped me realize that the leadership roles which are the most difficult are often the most important. Thus, I constantly work to create an environment where my students can be open, honest with their experiences, and learn from each other in any topic. In that space I was able to question my own beliefs and biases with my peers from a variety of cultures. By learning to acknowledge these cultural differences, I have learned to appreciate and care deeply about the experiences of others and the cultural benefits they bring to the world.
As an ATC, the most challenging students to work with are the ones that are most similar to me and my experiences. My students are often a mirror that reminds me to keep growing and working on myself. I work to inspire this continuous goal of self-reflection with my students so a cycle of learning, growth and change can continue.Furthermore, I have learned that I myself need to take action to eliminate the injustices through both education and action. This awareness has spread to my work with minority and underserved students here at UCSD and my future career plans. This practicum has opened my eyes to how I can make an impact in societal issues,has inspired me to achieve a PhD in Clinical Psychology, and work to decrease the mental health disparities within minority communities where I can make a difference in the success of others that are commonly overlooked.
Whitney Liera - Finding a safe space to explore deeper feelings about being multiracial
Something that was beneficial to me in regards to how the mentor practicum was structured was that everyone was encouraged to be an active participant, and a safe space was the intention of the practicum. It’s because of this space and the safeness I felt from it that I was more willing to share my own experiences and feel more comfortable being vulnerable in the group. When I was in practicum, I felt as though I wanted to be a part of the conversation. This was my opportunity to tell my story and for others to learn from it, as I was learning a lot from the stories and experiences of others. When I had finished practicum I realized how rewarding of an experience it was for me being able to share my stories, opinions, and asking questions. Compared to a lot of spaces I had been in at UCSD, what made practicum different was that I made it my own, meaning that I took part in making it what it was through participating and challenging myself to try new things and be vulnerable in front of others. I now take that idea and try to apply it to other areas of my life. By being an active participant in whatever I am involved in—class work, relationships, etc.—I can have a much more rewarding life experience than I would have if I had just let something pass by without taking part in some way. By being an ATC, I strive to create a space where students feel comfortable sharing what is going on with them, and at the same time challenging them to talk about things that can be difficult to discuss. One of the most impactful parts of mentor practicum for me was when I was helping to facilitate the discussion on multiracial perspectives. Since I am of mixed races I was excited to work with this topic because I felt that I knew a lot about being a part of more than one culture and the issues that people of mixed identities face. While I was going through the readings, discussing the topic with others, and preparing for the group discussion I found myself discovering and feeling emotions that I had never processed for myself. I had not dealt with the feelings I had because I am mixed. It is through this experience that I learned just because one is something, or can identify as a part of a particular group does not mean one is an expert or has fully explored what that means to them. This is one lesson I try to take back to my students I work with and to try and have them explore parts of themselves that they know are there but may have not paid a lot of attention to, or felt that they needed to.
Sashieana Scott - Problem solving and self-empowerment
The mentor practicum experience helped me think critically because it challenged me to dig deeper and to really think about things in a different light other than my own. It helped me with my problem solving skills because it allowed me to actually attempt to solve problems on my own rather than ask others to solve them for me. Instead of asking others what they would do in my situation I had to start asking what would I do? One thing I really did not like is when I would ask the facilitators, what would you do in my situation? And then they would ALWAYS turn the question back at me and say, “No, what would YOU do in your own situation?” It really irritated me because I was so used to going to friends for advice, and they would just tell me what to do, and I would tweak it or change it. It was difficult to have to look for the answers on how to solve my problems within myself rather than depending on others.It helped me solve problems realistically and in ways that were best for me to handle at that moment. The mentor practicum allowed me to take my experience and help my students by giving them the power to solve their own problems and deal with their issues. This is a power that they had to find here in college as they were now becoming young adults. As ATCs we don’t give them the answers, but we are guides to help them find the answers within themselves.
It inspired me to make others aware of the issues around us and it really made me become more conscious of the issues and challenges that together we face as a society and that individuals face. It helped me realize that action doesn't always have to be a protest or a march to Washington but that it can be small steps or changes in my daily life and just informing people in everyday conversation. For example, if I hear someone say, “that’s gay,” I can intervene by saying it is not okay to say that. If I hear someone say, “Hey you guys,” I can let them know that not everyone in the room identifies as a male. If I see someone make an ignorant comment I can address them and let them know that it is wrong and possibly start a discussion on why that’s so.
Summary
Before helping others, it’s important to understand and help ourselves first. We all have our issues, stereotypes, assumptions and biases. Mentor practicum is not group therapy, but it provides a safe space for future student mentors to identify their personal issues, where the issues come from, and how to deal with them in a healthy way. This transformative process allows ATCs to be fully engaged with a student who may mirror his/her own experiences, and it teaches them not to let personal issues get in the way of providing support and understanding. At the end of the presentation, Sashieana shared about the importance of taking what was learned in the mentor practicum and not only sharing with mentees, but also with students outside of the OASIS community who may not have participated in transition programs. Sharing the knowledge of mentor practicum will help students to make their college education more meaningful, encourage them to continue through their academic studies, and teach them to persevere when school and life become especially challenging.
References
Harro, B. (2000a). The cycle of liberation. In M. Adams, W.J. Blumenfeld, R. Castaneda, H.W. Hackman, M.L. Peters, and X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for Diversity and Social Justice (1st edition, pp. 463-469). New York, NY: Routledge.
Harro, B. (2000b). The cycle of socialization. In M. Adams, W.J. Blumenfeld, R. Castaneda, H.W. Hackman, M.L. Peters, and X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for Diversity and Social Justice (1st edition, pp. 15-21). New York, NY: Routledge.