Two construction engineering students, senior Alex Buscher and junior Maggie Holt, were recently recognized for their exceptional dedication to student mentoring.
Both Buscher and Holt earned a 2013-2014 Iowa State University Exemplary Peer Mentor Award, which recognizes and encourages outstanding achievement by peer mentors working with learning community students. The Iowa State University Learning Communities select students for this award.
Award criteria include nominator ratings of student’s communication, leadership, interpersonal interaction, academic assistance, creative use of technology, curriculum planning, classroom presentations, and classroom facilitation.
Buscher’s nominator statements included: “Alex is generous with his time when interacting with mentees and has even forged close relationships with group members. He coached his mentees through the Engineering Career Fair with confidence and ease. He has helped first-year construction engineering students assimilate into the program, meet faculty and industry mentors, develop good study habits, and understand construction and plan reading basics.”
Holt’s nominator statements included: “Maggie goes out of her way to communicate construction engineering events to first-year students. She understands her mentees on an in-depth interpersonal level based on her understanding their strengths – this level of empathy will be an excellent trait that she continues to cultivate. Maggie is well on her way to understanding herself and her leadership style.”
Buscher and Holt were both nominated by Academic Advisor Dr. Kristin Mauro. Several mentees provided supporting statements, too.
They were officially recognized for the award April 2 at the Iowa State University Learning Communities 2013-2014 Exemplary Mentor Awards, held in 20-60 Hixson Lied Student Success Center.