ANAGI GUNASEKERA
· Creative Learning Experience Designer · Educator · Musician
My journey as a Senior Peer Mentor
at the Faculty of Arts & Education, Deakin University
My journey with Deakin’s Peer Mentoring Program actually began as a mentee, when I was a new student finding my own way through university. The friendships, support and sense of community I found through the program stayed with me, and I later returned as a Peer Mentor to create that same sense of connection for other Arts and Education students.
As a mentor, I loved finding creative and engaging ways to bring students together, facilitate conversations and make university feel a little less overwhelming. My approach was recognised with an award for the Most Engaging Mentor Meeting, and over time I became increasingly involved in panels, classroom visits, orientation activities and other student engagement opportunities.
I was later selected as one of three Senior Peer Mentors from a team of around 30 mentors across multiple campuses. Unlike a role I could simply apply for, this progression came through the program coordinators observing my mentoring, engagement and contribution over time, which made the opportunity particularly meaningful to me.
Stepping into the Senior Peer Mentor role allowed me to see the program from an entirely different perspective. I moved from primarily supporting new students to also supporting the mentors themselves. I worked across three mentor groups, facilitated meetings and training, observed mentoring practice, provided feedback, helped mentors troubleshoot challenges and worked alongside staff to reflect on student feedback, program data and ways the mentoring experience could continue to improve.
This also gave me a much greater appreciation for everything happening behind the scenes of a student experience. Alongside the Student Transition Team, I became involved in reviewing what was working, identifying where students or mentors were experiencing difficulties, adapting our approach throughout the trimester and contributing ideas for future program improvements.
The experience has stretched my communication skills in many different directions. I have moved from speaking as a student on panels to helping facilitate them; from attending orientation to co-facilitating faculty sessions alongside academic staff; from participating in mentor training to co-presenting it for new mentors; and from connecting primarily with fellow students to collaborating more closely with professional and academic staff.
Perhaps the biggest shift, though, has been in how I understand leadership itself. Supporting several mentor groups sometimes felt almost like stepping into a small managerial role, but I quickly learned that leadership does not mean having every answer. Often, it means listening carefully, asking the right questions, helping someone work through a challenge or conflict, and creating enough structure and encouragement for them to make their own decisions.
From being supported as a new student to helping shape the experience of students and mentors who came after me, the Peer Mentoring Program has become a significant part of my university journey. It has strengthened my confidence in public speaking, facilitation, communication, teamwork and leadership, while also deepening my interest in student belonging, learner experience, human connection and continuous program improvement.More than anything, it has shown me how much thoughtful educational communities can grow when people are willing to listen, adapt and learn with and from one another.
