When we were asked to begin start thinking about our STAR competency, I thought that I wanted my project to be something that would give back to the College of Central Florida a little bit and that could directly benefit its students. Therefore, for my STAR competency, I decided to develop a program that would provide a peer mentor from the Senior class BSN program for the benefit of new freshmen. I wanted to offer them someone to reach out to that might provide unique insights as a fellow student rather than from the instructor perspective. Though the program was developed to offer help to new students in this program, another reason I had for this was to decrease attrition from the BSN program. Perhaps one of the most important parts of this program is that it is self-sustaining, as it is handed-off from semester to semester, student to student.

Reflecting back on the STAR competency, I feel as though I have done something fairly important and I will be remorseful that I may not know how it develops and changes as time progresses. It was interesting to me to be able to look back at the concerns of the freshmen that accessed this program's services and remember feeling some of the same concerns during my confusion. This retrospection helped me realize how valuable a program like this can be to students who may not as easily adapt to scholarly pursuits as others. I feel like the support, information, and access to the service this program provides can and will be a valuable tool for students now and in the future. Furthermore, because the program has a different leader from semester to semester it's not only sustainable, but dynamic as well. I envision the program changing with the ever-changing and evolving needs of the student body it was created to serve, as long as students give feedback on the program from semester to semester.

I have spent about 5 years at CF and it has benefited me and my family tremendously. Through education, I have been able to advance my career and my self intellectually through the challenges I have met through the process of becoming a nurse. Now, I am so happy to be able to initiate something that can serve others while simultaneously becoming the legacy I leave behind as I continue to grow. My greatest hope for the Peer Mentor Program is that it remains accessible, under the governance of caring and capable individuals and, a continuing benefit to students who want to succeed in their personal development but just require some friendly direction from time to time. 'No man is an island unto themselves' - we need to remember that and try to remain available for other people, because this sense of fellowship and community is one of the unique qualities that makes us all human.