Aloha ACE ohana!!!

ALOHA EVERYONE!

My name is Richard Mizusawa and I am a senior here at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I a double majoring in Communication and Communicology (formerly Speech) with a minor in Business Administration. I am also a part of the Honors Program. One day I hope to become a higher educational administrator here at UH and work with students. I enjoy hiking, going to the beach, turbo kicking, and hanging out with friends. I grew up in Manoa valley but moved to Aiea when I was 6 years old. I love everything about Manoa, and I know you will, too! The campus, people, and overall atmosphere of UH is very welcoming and always reminds me why I decided to be a UH warrior. One initial piece of advice I would have is to get involved! When I first came to Manoa, I made sure that I got involved with clubs and organizations that interested me, and it has been extremely awesome to meet so many new people and experience everything I have gone through over the last several years. UH Manoa offers over 255+ student organizations, so there’s definitely one out there for you! If you have any questions or just want to talk story, don’t be afraid to ask! Looking forward to having a great semester with everyone!

Mahalo,

Richard

Hello Goodbye

In just a couple of days the Fall 2012 semester will be over, and I’m not sure whether I am happy about it or not. When I was first a mentor, I was worried that I would not be able to give my students the help that they needed in order to succeed in college and life. I felt like I was going to fall short because I was not used to teaching students who were only a few years younger than me. However, I feel as though not only did I help them, but that my students helped me grow as well. The more I learned about their lives, the more self aware I became throughout the semester. I am so thankful for the students that I had, and I hope that they continue to persevere and overcome every obstacle that life throws at them. 

To my fellow peer mentors and the ACE Team: Thank you so much for all the support that you gave me throughout this semester. I don’t know what I would have done without you guys to make me laugh, and help me never lose sight of our mission to help others. I believe that this was a positive experience in that I will now be more confident in everything that I do because of this program. 

To the future peer mentors: It’s okay to be nervous and afraid! It’s completely normal. Just remember that there were other peer mentors that were going through the same feelings that you are going through, and we still got through it and learned a lot.  

Sincerely,

Megan

To be continued…

Yay!

ACE is done and the semester only has a few more days to go. Fortunately, this semester I had to support of my ACE students, ACE Team and fellow peer mentors to get me through it. Hopefully I was able to give back that same support.

To my cluster: hopefully you were able to take something away from me blabbering on and on each week. I really enjoyed each and everyone of you and wish you guys the best. I see bright futures in all of you so long as you continue on the paths that you’re on. If there’s on thing I wanted you to take home it was to make sure you have a good balance of work and play; that will help you succeed and be happy.

To future mentors: This is a great opportunity. Each person takes away something different from the program. But without a doubt, you’ll be making a difference in the lives your freshman and fellow peer mentors. Don’t think of this as another class but a second family you visit on a weekly.

Becoming a mentor sort of takes me back to my freshman year as an ACE student. I didn’t REALLY see all the benefits until the program ended. Now as I write this, I wish it was a little bit longer. However, I’m left with great memories and new friends as I wrap up my college career. What my future has in store isn’t crystal clear, but the skill I’ve gained through ACE has definitely prepared me for any surprises.

Good Luck with all of your endeavours,

Ken

Because this is exactly how time at Manoa has been, enjoy!

 

 

“Buy the ticket, take the ride.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ALOHA!

It is such a weird and exciting feeling to finally be graduating UHM! And I wouldn’t trade the experience I had being a mentor for First Year Programs for anything. Coming full circle from being a freshman in an ACE cluster to becoming an ACE peer mentor with my own cluster has been one of the best things to invest in at the end of my college career. I was so lucky to have a group of ten wonderful freshmen, who were lively, interactive, fun, and so sweet. They made my job as a mentor easy, I just had to come with my lesson plan and my cluster would just take it away from there. Week by week sharing thoughts and food with each other brought us together not just as a cluster, but as an ohana

I am so grateful to have had the ACE team and all the other mentors to bounce ideas off of, and ask for help, when I needed it. You all have made me feel supported, safe, and prepared when I wasn’t sure where I was at. I can only imagine that in the years to come FYP and ACE will continue to have success with mentors and freshmen alike, and I am so happy to have been a part of ACE during my time here in college.

I’ll miss you guys, hope I’ll be back to visit soon!

- Marissa Huang

“the end” is never an end but a new beginning.

My name is Melanie and I am the peer mentor of cluster #27.  My time as a peer mentor has come to an end but I feel that what I learned and experienced has provided me a start to a better beginning.  The students in my cluster taught me so many things and I am sad that the class is over but I am both lucky and grateful that I still get to see some of them outside of class and I get to know them even better and provide support or guidance when needed.  And I am truly grateful to have been a peer mentor and was given the opportunity to meet such wonderful students and peers.

To any future peer mentor, I can without a doubt tell you that this will be one the greatest experiences you will ever have.  I will admit that there are times you will have trouble with but you will have the support of your fellow peer mentors and the ACE team to get through it.  And its a lot of work, but its worth it.  We are there to help the freshmen integrate into college and I think the amount of work and effort you put in determines how effective you are as a mentor.

If I could do this again, I would without any hesitation.  I am sad that its over but I know that the students I’ve met learned many things to help make the college experience the best it can be and i’ve meet some of the most amazing people.  I want to say thank you to everyone who made this semester one of the best.

-Melanie

The World As I See It

Hey there~!

Peer mentor of Cluster 15 (Pre-Education) checking in! Please allow me to introduce myself – my name is Ashley. I’m currently an art major and craving some ice cream at this very moment.

The academic semester is winding down and the winter season is picking up.  I’m pretty excited about lit neighborhoods and seasonal flavor coffee, but I’m going to miss my ACE life with the ending of the Fall semester. Fun came in form of CAS 301 and my CAS 110 class.

The position of a peer mentor is an interesting one. I don’t regret the experience one bit, if anything I’d do it again! Every peer mentor has undergone a transformation for the better through this experience. I’ve definitely made improvements within myself just by the influence of my fellow peers. At the same time, my freshmen have also given me so much insight as well. It really is never too late to keep learning. A verbal “thank you” wouldn’t be enough to encompass how much I would want to express to everyone – but it’ll just have to do for now.

Thank you!

Now my cluster….

I’d have to say my Fridays already feel off when I don’t see all of you for a class, but I know you’re giving it your all to polish off your first semester at UH. I’m so proud of you, especially with the constant endurance through the heavy weeks of homework & studies. I wish you the best of luck (I’m here if you need anything!). I’m confident in all of you.

Good luck, Duckies! Please don’t forget to sleep! 

 

For everyone in my ACE experience,

Jason Mraz: “The World As I See It”  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjP7VTHUais

Thank you,

Ashley 

There and Back Again

Hey,

My name is Jay, and not only is my ACE Journey coming to an end as a peer mentor, but my undergraduate experience is also coming to an end. It is quite saddening, yet very exciting as who knows what the future will bring. ACE has been a magnificent experience and I’m thankful that I was able to end my undergraduate career doing it.

I had the privilege of mentoring Cluster #4, a general education cluster, and boy were the times great. Overall, I couldn’t be prouder and more hopeful for what the future has in store for those six students and their great ambitions. ACE truly is a great time, and hopefully you, as either a mentor or student, will share in such times and have many memories you can look back and smile on. Make the most of your experiences, it goes by so quickly!

Thinking of how time has tricked me into running out so quickly, here’s a video on optical illusions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBNHPk-Lnkk&feature=g-all

 

Jay

Ace- Fall 2012, never forget!

Hey there! Welcome incoming freshmen and new peer mentors! ACE is going to be a great experience for you! This Fall I had the honor of peer mentoring 12 great students in a pre-business cluster. My name is Natalie, mentor for cluster #13! We had a blast this semester, and I’m sure you will too. I was really excited to be an ACE mentor after experiencing the program myself as a freshman. I wasn’t too sure what to expect being on the other side of the classroom and teaching, but it happened to be one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had at UH. This past year has been full of great adventure for me, including my internship it Ka Leo, studying abroad to Seville, Spain, and of course mentoring for first year programs. 

Being a peer mentor was an awesome experience. I met students from all over, and was able to form really great friendships with other peer mentors, as well as my students. It was great to be a resource and a helpful hand to my students, because the transition into college isn’t always easy. Things happen! That’s what we’re here for. Each week was a new experience meeting with my cluster, as each week I was able to see everyone get more comfortable, form friendships, and become very sociable. It was great to see such a transition occur in just a few weeks. I learned so much about person in our cluster, and I learned so much about myself as well.

ACE is such a great leadership experience. Working in teams with other mentors, doing self reflection workshops, you really learn about yourself and the people around you. The other mentors have become my family, and I will never forget this semester spent with them. The friendships I’ve made, the skills I’ve learned, and the impact that my instructors have made on me will forever be one of my greatest memories of UH. 

This is a great opportunity for everyone. If you are a freshman I highly encourage you to join a cluster. It’s a great way to meet people, have extra guidance through your courses, and helps you overall  transition into the college lifestyle. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, go for it! This will change you, and take you on a journey that brings great rewards. 

Many thanks to all of the people who have supported my ACE adventure! 

Natalie F.

 

The End of a Journey

Hello everyone!

My name is Sean and I have just finished my ACE experience as a peer mentor for Cluster #26 (Pre-Health) this semester! The culmination of ACE has left me with mixed feelings. For one, I am sad that I won’t get to see my 13 amazing freshmen each week. But on the other hand, I know that they will continue to do great things and that they will influence this world in a positive way. I am so grateful that I had the chance to do ACE again and I am really thankful that my students made this experience so enjoyable for me. I learned a lot about myself throughout my experience and I have my freshmen and the ACE team to thank for that.

I sincerely hope that through this experience and with my guidance, the freshmen are more prepared and ready for successful college careers. I really enjoyed getting to know all of my 13 freshmen and I hope that we continue to keep in touch! I learned so much from them and will never forget how much fun we had this semester! 

In closing, I again really want to thank the ACE team, my fellow peer mentors, and my freshman. You really made this experience fulfilling and with your support, I feel that this has been one of the best experiences that I have had at UH Manoa. A word of advice for incoming peer mentors: Be flexible, be true to yourself, and most of all, have fun! This experience will be an amazing one, so put in the effort and you will succeed. I hope you find this experience as rewarding as I did and I hope you enjoy yourself!

With all the best,

Sean

じゃまた ACE (See ya later ACE)

Hey everyone,

If you are a new mentor, congrats!  If you a new freshman, congrats as well!  Welcome to ACE!  Whether you are a freshman or mentor, it doesn’t matter.  You both will be headed on a journey that will hopefully impact your lives.  My name is Casey and I had the pleasure of being a peer mentor for cluster #5, General Education.

My journey began sort of rough, with some problems and a couple of my students dropping the class early in the semester.  But I survived and even excelled.  I was able to give my students an easier transition to college, answer most of their questions, refer them to the right people when I didn’t know the answers, and overall we had fun.  I taught them a lot and they also taught me some things. So we grew together.   And your freshmen aren’t the only ones you get to work with.  You also get to have CAS 301 class with your fellow mentors.  I never expected to have a lot of fun this semester, but thanks to my CAS 301 class, I did.  Everyone in the class had something different to bring to the table, whether it was a perspective on a topic or an intangible dynamic that altered the overall atmosphere of the classroom.

The two important things to remember are to have fun and don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Everyone needs help sometimes, but not everyone knows how to ask for it.  Talk to your fellow mentors and the ACE team if you need guidance.  And have fun, because everything is easier when you’re having fun.

To Monday’s CAS 301 class, the ACE team, and my Cluster #5 class, thanks for a fun semester.  I’ll miss it.  Shoots.

-Casey Fukuda