During the Spring 2021 semester, I joined this rather new organization, Cyclone Mentor Support Program. The purpose of this program was to both tutor, and simultaneously create an emotional support system. Personally, being a freshman and basically starting over at a new school is like being a fish out of water. Everything is both new and scary, including the high school counselors. Knowing this, the Cyclone Mentor Support Program was created to provide a friendly organization for students who appreciate guidance, but are not courageous enough to befriend the school counselors.

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     As this was still a fledgling organization, I only had a chance to meet and mentor two students. Through COVID-19 and virtual platforms, communication was difficult in the beginning. Additionally, there was always information missing, whether it be the mentee's academic profile, or simple icebreaker information. If the mentees and I were able to meet in person, I think it would be easier to communicate because we would be able to see each other, I could see them in their element. Moving to fully virtual learning creates communication difficulties, as nonverbal communication relays over 80% of the message being conveyed.

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     I digress, but helping my mentees get through virtual learning, mental struggles, and communication barriers has broadened my abilities and increased my confidence in interpersonal communication. I learned different communication styles and how to communicate with them appropriately. Additionally, I was able to deepen my understanding of various academic subjects because I had to learn the subjects twice. Once when I took those courses, and twice when I had to explain the concepts to my mentees. Overall, I think this mentor opportunity was an amazing experience. It feels satisfying to help others, especially during these hard times. The fact that this also increased my self-confidence in my soft skills was another benefit.