Peer support has been an enriching experience for me during my time at college, fostering my leadership abilities and enabling me to connect with fellow Murdoch students. I’ve developed strong bonds with both my peer support leaders and peers, as well as with the teachers involved in the program. Initially in term 4 2023, we underwent a 1-day personal development training to prepare us for leadership roles, which included learning about effective communication and organization.
After finding out I was a peer support leader , the 2024 Murdoch leaders had a day to foster relationships with each other and plan the activities for the program in the following year. The 1-day personal development program was a highlight for me, providing valuable insights into the activities we would lead. As well as a fantastic Zambrero’s lunch, we spent the day planning team games that we could run with the year 8’s some to get to know them better and other just ot enjoy our time together. Planning sessions was enjoyable, and we received ample support and guidance from our teachers. By the end of the program, I had gained new friendships and invaluable skills.
I found the most challenging part of peer support to be carrying out the activities we had planned effectively, and making sure that everyone was involved was also essential in order for a good peer support session. It took a couple of sessions for us to understand how important it was that our activities were engaging, and our instructions were delivered clearly, because things could descend into chaos quickly. It was hard to get the attention of the year 8 students, however things became easier after a couple of sessions once we had built rapport with them.
I’m grateful to our peer support leaders and teachers for this opportunity to grow as a leader and for the memorable experience.
