The Peer Advisory Board (PAB) is currently accepting applications for Peer Mentor/Academic Consultants (PMACs) for next semester.
The PMAC Program was designed in an effort to help new students—whether they are directly from high school or transfers—during their transition into the Drake University community.
Sophomore Ryan Price, along with the three other students—Nisha Patel, Nick Lund and Robin Sautter—serve on PAB under the guidance of Vice Provost Wanda Everage, and it’s their duty to select the next year’s PMACs based on their individual merits.
“We’re looking for people who have a passion for Drake University and want to give back their own successful first-year experience to next fall’s incoming class,” Price said.
Those students interested are asked to submit a written application by Feb. 9, which will be reviewed by PAB, and from there applicants will be asked to interview Feb. 18-20.
If selected, training for next semester’s PMACs will begin this spring and will be geared toward general staff development. It’s not until the few days before Welcome Weekend begins that the intensive staff development begins.
However, the duties of PMACs extend long beyond Welcome Weekend.
“PMACs are responsible for their first-year seminar students’ successful social and academic transition to college,” Price said. “PMACs assure a successful transition to college by staying in touch with their students throughout the semester and building community during Welcome Weekend.”
First-year student Kelsey Johnson is considering applying to become a PMAC next semester.
“I really enjoyed my PMAC and would like to help future students with as easy a transition as he did,” Johnson said. “He’s really gotten me through a lot this year.”
Students who are interest but are vying for possible Residence Assistants (RA) positions need to be wary of conflicting dates, as is the problem for first-year student Jordan Payne.
“I’m interested, but the issue is that the training dates for becoming a PMAC conflict with the training dates for becoming a RA,” Payne said. “I’d much rather become a RA.”
Payne didn’t want to apply to both positions in the chance that she’d get both and have to turn one down.
Price encourages anyone interested to apply. While the position is not paid, Price is glad he did it.
“I became a PMAC because I simply loved my own FYS experience, especially pertaining to Welcome Weekend,” Price said. I wanted to be able to help another first-year seminar have the same community I had.”
