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Connect2Complete, a program of Campus Compact supported by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, works with nine community colleges in Florida, Ohio and Washington to utilize peer mentoring and community-engaged learning as strategies for retention of low-income, developmental education students. average students who didn’t care about grades. But when I got to college, everything does matter. It took me a while to adjust.” On top of that, Jose struggled with learning disabilities and at first he didn’t discuss the types of accommodations he needed with his professors. Now, Jose takes advantage of various Big Bend programs and has found the support he needs to be successful. Because Jose had been through a challenging start at Big Bend, he decided he wanted to become a Peer Advocate: “I knew the struggles that I went through and could help people not go through the same troubles. I knew how hard it was to adjust.” As a Peer Advocate, Jose took his class on a college tour to introduce them to campus resources, connected students to tutoring and advisors, and helped them know what classes to take. He thinks that being a peer makes a big difference: “We should have Peer Advocates because it’s someone in your own age group that knows what you’re going through and you can help each other out.” In addition to providing mentorship support, Jose and his mentees participated in servicelearning projects, including a food drive and a service day to clean and refurbish the campus childcare center. One student was so impacted by that work that they continued to volunteer at the childcare center to read to the children. Jose also saw a difference in class: “When class first started, students used to be in separate groups. Then they started communicating more and helping each other out.” Although his first quarter with Connect2Complete was in fall 2012, Jose still sees the impact of C2C: “Students from that class stuck together. They are in study groups together and they took the same classes. They really bonded.” Connect2Complete: A Conversation with Jose Peer Advocate – Big Bend Community College, WA As a mentor, it’s always helpful to receive positive feedback to know you are making a difference. For Jose Sanchez, a Peer Advocate with the Connect2Complete program at Big Bend Community College, the feedback came directly from a student he had served: “One student came up to me and he said that I had made the class better and it’s the best class he had all quarter. I felt accomplished, I made the college experience better for him.” Before college, Jose says, “I was one of those
