Contact Info

Peer Advocate Program
istartsmart@gatewaycc.edu
(602) 286-8107

Andrea Avelar
Peer Advocate
avelar@gatewaycc.edu

Brittney Harned
Peer Advocate
harned@gatewaycc.edu

General Advisement Academic Advising
(602) 286-8600

Location

South Building (SO)

Peer Advocates

Overview

College is a time of transition. Whether you are new to college, graduating soon or preparing to transfer to a university, the transition can be challenging. The Peer Advocate program at GateWay is designed to help ease that transition.

GateWay peer advocates are students themselves and have had similar college experiences. Peer advocates guide students toward academic and personal success by identifying and explaining existing campus and online resources.

Peer Advocate Program

Depending on individual student needs, the Peer Advocate program provides support in a variety of ways.

1. Students can call or email advocates for answers to specific questions.
2. Students can meet with an advocate on a one-on-one basis to discuss important issues or challenges. These can be ongoing or one-time meetings.
3. Students may even be referred by faculty to participate in the Peer Advocate Program and be assigned an advocate for academic support. In this case, once the peer advocate relationship is established, the student and peer advocate meet periodically to discuss student issues, including:
   • College life
   • Study skills
   • Time management
   • Campus involvement
   • Student services

In addition to one-on-one meetings and phone/email support, peer advocates host workshops on topics ranging from financial aid to study techniques, to help foster student engagement.

Make an Appointment

To meet with a peer advocate or get information about upcoming workshops, call (602) 286-8107.