Peer Mentorship and Education
The FIT Peer Mentor Tiger Leader training program is especially designed to provide you with experience that develops, challenges, and supports you as a socially responsible leaders in the world. These positions are a unique leadership experience for you to learn more about yourself as a leader—and simultaneously have a profound impact on our campus.
Tiger Leader Positions
Orientation Leaders
Orientation Leaders play a critical role in New Student Orientation as part of the larger Orientation Team. As student leaders, OLs set the tone for an incoming student's FIT experience. OLs not only welcome new students to FIT, they help new students successfully transition to FIT. The OL position at FIT requires a high level of energy, student interaction, and time management. Orientation at FIT is a fun, exciting, and engaging experience. Orientation Leaders are the ones who make it all happen. Teamwork, support, and collaboration is at the core of the Orientation Leader position and are necessary components to a successful orientation experience.
Resident Assistants
Resident Assistants are an integral part of the Residential Life staff. RAs are paraprofessional staff members with the most direct and constant student contact. The primary responsibilities of RAs are to act as facilitators in the development of the residence hall community, to enhance the development of the residents, and to serve as role models at all times. RAs serve as representatives of the Residential Life office and FIT.
Health and Wellness Peer Educators
Health and Wellness Peer Educators are dedicated to increasing awareness in areas of health and wellness; encouraging safer behaviors and choices, encouraging positive healthy lifestyles, and promoting healthy minds and bodies for FIT students. A Health and Wellness Peer Educator is also dedicated to raising awareness and providing education on alcohol, other drugs, and violence prevention in an effort to promote a healthier environment for the FIT community.
The Tiger Leader program is designed using the Social Change Model of Leadership Development (HERI, 1996). Students are a part of a large network of peer mentors, who elect to serve their fellow students as a resource, advocate, and role model. Research on student engagement emphasizes that peer mentorship directly correlates to positive student outcomes in campus involvement, retention, and academic success. Over four decades of research on college student success demonstrates the benefits of student involvement and peer support (Astin, 1993; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Tinto, 1975). By offering an opportunity for students to take an active role in students’ leadership development process and facilitate new initiatives in leadership and civic engagement, the FIT Tiger Leader Peer Mentor training program addresses the need for increased student engagement and support on our campus while also benefitting the local community.