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International Peer Mentoring Program

International Peer Mentoring Program is offered by the Office of Global Affairs.

What is the Peer Mentoring Program?

    • The InternationalPeer Mentoring Program is an international mentoring community.
    • Stony Brook University is one of many institutions to provide support for new undergraduate international students through mentorship.
    • This program matches students with a trained alumni/current students mentor based on common interests, background, academics, and professional aspirations.



  • MENTORS

    Program Information

    Peer Mentors are campus leaders who have demonstrated their commitment to diversity, recognize the contributions diversity brings to the work of the team, and dedicated to helping new international students have a good college experience. Peer mentors plays are a critical role in assisting new undergraduate international student’s transition into the U.S. education system and Stony Brook University.

    Eligibility Requirements
    • Must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.8.
    • Must complete at least 2 semesters at Stony Brook University.
    • Must have a working knowledge of the services offered on campus and where to refer students for various queries.
    • Must be available to attend Peer Mentor training and meetings.
    • Must be enrolled as an undergraduate student and commit to the program for the entire 2024-2025 academic year.
    • Abide by a confidentiality agreement, maintaining confidentiality and respect for individual students' rights at all times.
    Preferred Qualifications
    • Strong interpersonal skills, especially when communicating with people from different cultural background.
    • Strong desire to help new international students.
    • Self-motivation.
    General Expectations
      • Paired with at least 3 mentees, and must commit to the program for the full 2024 -2025 academic year.
      • Must attend required training sessions.
      • Prompt response to all office communications (e.g., emails and Google Calendar invitations).
      • Active engagement in International Peer Mentor Program events, including but not limited to pre-orientation evening programs, evening social events during the semester, and social media engagements.
      • Available to communicate (phone, email, and/or in-person) with assigned new student mentees over summer 2024 and winter 2025, prior to their first semester, as well as throughout the remainder of the academic year.
      • If applied and selected as the Mentor Program Event Committee Member:
        • Assist with preparation, face to face outreach, and facilitation of Peer Mentor Program Events (1 major event per semester).
        • Attend at least 3 major meetings in the semester regarding event planning with the program supervisor.
    Benefits of Being a Peer Mentor
        • Hourly paid position.
        • Experience and development of the following core learning objectives and skillsets:
          • Cognitive Complexity: Critical thinking, reflective thinking, effective reasoning, and creativity.
          • Interpersonal Competence: Develop meaningful relationships, interdependence, collaboration, and effective leadership.
          • Practical Competence: Pursuing goals, communicating effectively, technical competence, managing personal affairs, demonstrating professionalism.
          • Intrapersonal Development.
        • Networking with University staff, mentors, and mentees.
    Apply to Be a Mentor

    Application is currently open, and it will close on Feb 28, 2024 at 11:59 AM EST.

    Apply Here

  • MENTEES

    Program information

    What do mentors and mentees discuss?
    • How will my major impact my professional options?
    • How do I balance the demands of school, sleep, and socializing?
    • How can I set myself up for academic, social, and career success?
    • How do I make connections with peers and professional contacts?
    • How do I find jobs and internships as an international student?
    What are other Mentees saying about the experience?
    • "[My mentor] helped me answer the question of how to form strong relationships with my professors by giving me an actionable strategy to having strong purposeful visits to their office hours. "
    • "I'm really excited to have someone there for me. It's nice knowing that I'm not completely alone and hopefully I can someone I can reach out to if I'm having a hard time in school or other activities. "
    • "My mentor has been an amazing help in my life, he makes me realize and see things more clearly. Sometimes it's in front of your face but you can't see until someone puts into words for you. "
    How do I apply?

    Sign Up

  • MEET THE 2023-2024 MENTORS
      Sara Asher

      Sara Asher

      Language: Hindi, Gujarati, Kutchi, and Marathi

      Major: Biology

      sara.asher@stonybrook.edu

      Sara is an international student from India and a huge animal lover. She loves exploring new places and would love to travel the world. She is also a rookie singer and was a part of the Choir for 4 years. A fun fact about her is that she is the only left-handed person in her whole family.

      Yatharth Bahl

      Yatharth Bahl

      Language: Hindi,  Punjabi

      Major: Geology & TSM

      yatharth.bahl@stonybrook.edu

      Yatharth is a highly motivated and inquisitive international student who loves to explore different locations. His hobbies include reading history, watching movies that are mostly from India, hiking, and listening to music. He is an avid piano listner. A fun fact about him is, he loves talking to new people for any duration they want. He is willing to help in every possible manner as it falls in line with my ideology of "growing by assisting".

      Katie Hsu

      Katie Hsu

      Language: Mandarin Chinese

      Major: Psychology

      katie.hsu@stonybrook.edu

      Katie is a junior  in the Honors College, a volunteer for the Stony Brook Volunteer Ambulance Corps (SBVAC), Webmaster for the Taiwanese Student Association (TSA), and has an on-campus job in the Office of Government & Community Relations. She is also a big fan of Studio Ghibli movies, has a passion for creating vlogs, and adores painting and drawing, all of which she finds both therapeutic and enjoyable. She is also extremely fond of cats. Katie LOVES exploring the food scene in New York City, so make sure you ask her for recommendations.

      Ying-Syun Huang

      Ying-Syun Huang

      Language: Mandarin Chinese

      Major: Psychology & Business Management

      ying-syun.huang@stonybrook.edu

      Ying-syun(Jenna) is an international student from Taiwan. She enjoys exploring new places and loves traveling. Her hobbies include singing, playing the piano, exercising, and cooking. She is interested in doing research in psychology and learning new languages.

      Jaclyn Katz

      Jaclyn Katz

      Language: English

      Major: Psychology & Sociology

      jaclyn.katz@stonybrook.edu

      Jaclyn is a Junior double majoring in Psychology and Sociology. She loves traveling and has been to 6 different countries in the last year. She is a gymnastics coach and she is the president of Stony Brook's Jewish Student Association.

      Xinqing Li

      Xinqing Li

      Language: Mandarin Chinese, some Japanese and Korean

      Major: Health Science

      xinqing.li@stonybrook.edu

      Xinqing loves making 3D wooden models, solving hands-on puzzles, assembling jigsaw puzzles, and building LEGO sets, especially ones with thousands of pieces to keep her engaged for hours. She is also a beginner skier, but she is  learning her way through more difficult slopes. She hopes that by next season, I'll be able to fully conquer green and blue slopes and challenge herself to black diamonds. She also finds playing video games with friends after a long and stressful day to be one of the most relaxing moments in college. She also enjoys being outdoors when the weather is nice.

      Huda Nawaz

      Huda Nawaz

      Language: Urdu, Punjabi

      Major: Business Management

      huda.nawaz@stonybrook.edu

      Huda enjoys drawing, comics, and playing video games. She adores her cat and likes to eat sweet things! In her free time, she binges on new webtoons and plays games with her friends. She used to play the guitar and would like to pick it up again sometime. In the future, she hopes to get more cats and travel all over the world.

      Krisha Patel

      Krisha Patel

      Language: Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi

      Major: Computer Science

      krisha.patel@stonybrook.edu

      Krisha likes to paint, sketch, do calligraphy, and other artsy things and is also learning to crochet. During her free time, she likes to binge watch K-dramas, watch content by her favourite K-pop idols, listen to music, and read comics. Two fun facts about her are that her favourite art medium is oil paint, and she learned Bharatnatyam for 9 years.

      Ding Wang

      Ding Wang

      Language: Mandarin Chinese, some Japanese and Korean

      Major: AMS & Chemistry

      ding.wang.4@stonybrook.edu

      Ding (Laurie)'s hobbies are swimming, fencing, and skiing. She has been practicing swimming and fencing for several years, and she just explored skiing last year, which she learned during trips with Stony Brook Ski & Snowboard Club. She is also really into K-pop music. TWICE and Seventeen are her favorite groups, which lighten her mood every time she listens to them. A fun fact about her is she is a coffee addict, and every morning, a cup of black coffee with no sugar helps her welcome a new day.

      Bonnie Wong

      Bonnie Wong

      Language: Mandarin Chinese and Malay

      Major: Mechanical Engineering & Music

      bonnie.wong@stonybrook.edu

      Bonnie enjoys the performing arts, such as piano, drama, and ballet. She directed a play, "A Christmas Carol," back in high school. She has traveled to 8 different countries, and Taiwan is her favorite country to travel to.

      Stephanie Yam

      Stephanie Yam

      Language: Mandarin Chinese

      Major: Pyschology & Asian and Asian American Studies

      stephanie.yam@stonybrook.edu

      Stephanie is always ready for an adventure! From trying new things such as food or exploring a new place, she is always down to have a good time with people old and new. Stephanie loves taking photos and videos of her friends and day-to-day life to turn into fun little vlogs and edits to explore her creative side. In her free time, she enjoys discovering a variety of new music in different languages, writing, and taking care of her succulents. A fun fact is she’s a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo.

      Yun Meng Zhang

      Yun Meng Zhang

      Language: Mandarin Chinese

      Major: Biology & Psychology

      yunmeng.zhang@stonybrook.edu

      Yun Meng enjoys reading novels, watching movies, and exploring nature in her free time. She loves engaging in conversations and learning about what the world is like for people from different backgrounds. The skies, the ocean, and the sunset catch her eyes and inspire her to think about the beauty of nature. Yun Meng is also an adventurer who likes to try new things.