Student Tutoring and Retention Services, or STARS, is seeking Student Success Mentors, previously known as peer mentors, for the Cardinal Communities program in fall 2025.
A Student Success Mentor, or SSM, is a paid position and does not require work study eligibility. Applications are available at jobs.lamar.edu. The deadline to apply is Feb. 28.
“At Lamar University, students get the chance to empower and inspire our first-year students through mentoring,” Ashley Thibodeaux, assistant director of academic enrichment, said. “Mentoring isn’t just about helping others, it’s also a journey of self-discovery. The connections our mentors make with our freshman cohort will make their university experience even more enriching and memorable.”
Mentors will co-facilitate a weekly seminar with a faculty ambassador. The seminar will teach freshman students about campus resources and expectations.
“The students come from high school and they need to adjust,” Nirmal Gope, program supervisor and coordinator for peer mentoring, said. “There’s lots of things going on in their transition. This program will help them to know more about Lamar and to get situated better.”
Thibodeaux said a survey conducted with the Fall 2024 mentees shows they felt welcomed at Lamar University.
“Cardinal Communities is incredibly welcoming and supportive to our first-year students,” Thibodeaux said. “Building a community on campus is important for our students to succeed, and with our program, we get to show how everyone is connected.”
The seminars are held during the first half of the fall semester, but SSMs are employed from April to November during which time they will attend training sessions, plan meetings, and other activities.
Gope said the program attracts students who are willing to help others.
“At the same time, they have to have some kind of leadership quality and be willing to learn,” he said. “We can train, but for people who don’t want to learn, it will be harder.”
Gope said applicants must be undergraduate students who have completed at least 30 credit hours, with 15 hours being from Lamar University. They must also have at least a 2.8 GPA.
Thibodeaux said there are three traits that help mentors succeed and grow.
“I think the top three are empathy, leadership and altruism,” she said. “It’s important to understand how the mentoring experience is not just for the mentees. Our student mentors gain personal and professional growth through fostering connections and supporting others.”
Thibodeaux said the program is also looking for faculty and staff to fill ambassador positions. Applications can be found on the STARS website, or by emailing athibodeaux4 @lamar.edu. Ambassador applications are due March 7.
