I entered the classroom convincing myself it was okay if the freshmen students didn't like me - that I was not there to be a friend. Each class meeting, I would try to insert myself into a different group of students, and regardless if they responded or not, I stayed there. I wasn’t afraid to focus the group back to our course objectives and discussion when they got off topic. And yet, the students were the first to approach me and began regularly asking for help. From seeking advice on the structure of a paragraph, grammar, or the perspective of a short paper, I had the opportunity and honor to get to know each of the students - to develop inside jokes and peer-to-peer relationships. By the end of the semester I had formed a professional and friendly relationship with almost all of the students in the class. 

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As the students and I developed a mutual trust in each other, I was able to offer assistance in peer reviewing groups, one-on-one workshopping sessions, and I also led class discussions. Through the different roles I played in the classroom, I found students approaching me toward the end of classes to express that they valued how “honest” and “genuine” I was. 

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The biggest take away of my Peer Colleague experience was the students' continuous insistence that  I wasn't trying to be “the best”. They all knew that I had done well in the class to be offered my position but appreciated that I did not use my status to exercise authority over or patronize them. I pride myself on the fact that I am comfortable sharing my less remarkable moments as a writer and freshman college student as I am sharing my accomplishments. I was not always a good writer. I am not perfect. I made it a point to show the students from day one that I had my own journey, and the class responded better than I’d hoped.

 

The students still smile at me in the hallways and some will stop and talk to me between classes. Not only did the students have a “Peer Colleague" in me, but they found one more familiar face on campus. Even at a small campus like Fisher, it never hurts to have one more person to know, and to know you. But what I gained from them was confidence and understanding. Some students would note that I seemed uneasy leading a class discussion and joke to diffuse. The class developed a chemistry or formula where everyone one contributed something to set the classroom environment. I got to witness very capable writers and writers who struggled, different majors, different attitudes, different friend groups. I was able to see how certain students “cliqued” and some did not. I observed students who were confident in all aspects but their writing. Most importantly, I saw freshman transitioning into college with all different backgrounds, experiences and interests that brought them to our campus and our classroom. 

 

By the end of the semester, my presence was not as pronounced as the students and the Peer Colleague. By the end it was one class full of people who had learned a lot from each other.