The Global Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Program (Global P2P) is an International Studies Office initiative established in 2023, birthed from a project by two international students in the Citizen Leaders Fellowship. Global P2P is designed to pair incoming undergraduate international students with an upperclassmen undergraduate international student mentor from their country or region, who can be a point of contact in their adjustment process.

Become a Global P2P Exec Team Member

The Global Peer to Peer Mentorship program is recruiting passionate and dedicated individuals to join the P2P executive team. If you’re eager to make a difference and help foster connections between incoming and current international students, we want to hear from you! As a member of our executive team, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the future of the Global P2P Program and support international mentors and mentees from all around the globe. 

Apply here by Sunday, November 10th.

Term: January 2025-January 2026 

Responsibilities: 

In addition to the fulfilling the duties of one particular exec position outlined below, the following responsibilities apply to all members of the exec team: 

• Meet with other exec team members and ISO program advisors on a monthly basis starting in January 2025.  

• Collaborate as an exec team to solicit mid-year feedback from Global P2P mentors and mentees in January 2025. 

• Collaborate as an exec team to recruit new mentors starting February 2025.  

• Participate in a mentor/mentee matching training in May 2025.  

• Match mentors and mentees during June 2025. 

• Host a Global P2P start-of-year kickoff in September 2025.  

Qualifications: 

• Must be a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year undergraduate international student (non-immigrant visa status). 

• Passion for supporting international students at UVA.  

• Ability to take initiative and collaborate with others to put ideas into action. 

• Reliability: Shows up at meetings, proactively communicates, follows through with support for others and the program.  

• Commitment to ongoing communication with ISO P2P program advisors.  

Exec Positions: 

• Social Media Coordinator

  • Takes photos at Global P2P events 

  • Manages Global P2P Instagram 

  • Creates graphics using Canva for Instagram, emails, etc. 

• Communications Coordinator 

  • Creates and manages communications to Global P2P mentors and mentees via email, GroupMe, etc. 

  • Monitors Global P2P email inbox and responds to email inquiries from mentors and mentees 

  • Works closely with Event Coordinators to publicize events throughout the year 

• Event Coordinator (2) 

  • Work together to plan events for Global P2P mentors and mentees 

  • Highlight events happening across Grounds that may be of interest to mentors and mentees and work together with Communication Coordinator to publicize events throughout the year 

  • Cultivate relationships with CIOs and identify opportunities to co-sponsor cultural events 

Why UVA Needs a Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Program for International Students

With approximately 800 undergraduates coming from more than 80 countries, we have the potential to build a strong and vibrant international student community at UVA. One approach to this is to create and sustain an engaging experience for our newest international students. International students have a diverse range of identities and are tasked with acclimating to college life in the United States while learning to be more independent. The Global P2P program will serve to guide new students through these challenges and in the process create stronger bonds between and among the University’s international students. 

The goals of the peer mentor program are: 

• To allow incoming students to get to know other students from their country or region, thereby strengthening their ties to their cultural background while at UVA
• To provide a channel for incoming students to ask direct questions to an upperclassman, ranging from academic advice to joining clubs and making friends, making the adjustment process for new international students less strenuous. 
• To foster a stronger sense of community between different groups of international students, from different regions and different academic and social interests. 

Why You Should Become a Peer Mentor

“Wish I had this program my first year!” - rising third year international student

Getting settled on grounds can be rough, and knowing what you know now about life at UVA, you may wish you had done things differently. Being a peer mentor allows you to pass along what you know to new students and alleviate the anxiety they have about entering a new phase of their life far away from home. Your time and knowledge as a mentor to an incoming student can help shape their future decisions and experiences in meaningful ways. Most of all, you and your mentee may also form an invaluable friendship by bonding over interests shaped from shared regional and other identities;