Week 1

I have know since day one of me receiving the congratulations letter for being selected as a recipient of the Hixson Opportunity Award that I would be a peer mentor. I love the fact the program takes great care of all their scholarships students whether it be helping them transition for high school to college or becoming a peer mentor and being a role model for new students. While reading the first couple of chapters of our Students Helping Students book I can identify with what was being said, especial chapter two. Everyone matures and goes through changes at different rates, some faster than other.  And a lot of time the one who want to be peer mentors in anyway they can are the one that, for lack of a better term, "grow-up" faster because of the situations they put themselves in to challenging situation to develop skills to be a more effective mentor. I also enjoyed the fact the book gave us  five key principles of human development that will help me grow as a person and understand them better when the time comes for me to implement them with mentoring the 2012 Hixson class. 

Another reason I really related and enjoyed chapter two is that I felt like I was reading something I have be taught my how life. My father has always taught me to put myself in other people's shoe to better understand where they are coming from or reacting to a situation. He taught me this because it helps you relate to the person easier and to developing an more effective solution to  a situation. I guess this lesson in many ways has been the reason why I tend to gravitate to leadership roles and having people coming to me for advice because I just naturally put things into perpective, good or bad, and will get whatever done to move forward and past obstacles that arise in any situation.

I love reading books like this because it helps me challenge myself as a person and enjoy learning new ways to grow into to the person I want to be.