Division of Student Affairs > Student Life > For New Students > Transfer Peer Mentors @ DePaul

Transfer Peer Mentors @ DePaul

The Transfer Peer Mentor Program is a FREE program that connects you with an experienced DePaul transfer student to help you navigate your first year at DePaul. Our mentors understand the ups and downs of being a transfer student and are ready to help you make the most of your time as a Blue Demon!

Transfer Peer Mentors can help with:

  • Advice and guidance on navigating DePaul's campus and resources.
  • Opportunities to connect with other transfer students and the wider DePaul community.
  • Learn about joining student clubs & organizations.
  • Resources and support to help you meet your specific goals.
  • Tips on how to survive the quarter system and academic resources.
  • Any other questions you might have or things you’ve been wondering about!

What Mentees can expect:

  • A welcome phone call from your mentor within the first two weeks of being matched.
  • Frequent communications from your mentor about important dates, resources, and student events & activities.
  • Meetings with your mentor: this is a good opportunity to talk about how things are going, ask questions, or get advice.
  • Transfer Student socials and access to group success coaching for transfer students.
  • Your mentor will be matched with you for the whole academic year.

Tips for meeting with your Mentor:

  • Set up a time to meet with them. We recommend meeting at least once a quarter with your mentor, but you can also meet once a month or more often as needed. Mentors can meet with you at either campus, over the phone, or on Zoom.
  • Don't be afraid to ask questions. Your mentor was once a brand-new transfer student and they know what it is like to be new to DePaul. They can probably answer most questions that you might have and even if they don't know the answer, they can help you find it. No question is too small or too silly.
  • You do not have to have questions to meet-up with your mentor. If you have no questions for your mentor, no worries! They are still a great person to get to know and can be someone you can talk to. They love getting to know their mentees and just talking about how the quarter is going.
  • Have fun! The mentors are great people, and this is a great way to connect with the DePaul community

Frequently Asked Questions

New transfer students who are enrolled in classes will receive an email invitation via their DePaul email a few weeks before the quarter starts. That will include a link to an intake form which will help us to match you with a mentor. Once the intake form has been completed, matching typically takes place with one to two weeks. If you did not receive an email with an invitation to join the program, email us at transfer@depaul.edu to inquire.

Mentors can help you delve deeper into an academic interest, career field, or activity that you already excel at, whether it's finding an internship, getting a promotion, succeeding in an advanced class, or being elected to a leadership role. Having a mentor also increases your networking and opens you up to a new group of people you might not have met on your own.

  • Think about what goals you have for your time at DePaul and communicate those clearly to your mentor.
  • Learn about your mentor's background and ask about the connections and experiences that are most interesting to you.
  • Think about what your interests are and how you’d like to be involved on campus—they can help you get connected with students groups, clubs, and events.
  • Need help making a plan to get through the quarter? Ask your mentor for help—they can offer tips for navigating the quarter system, staying organized, and what the best resources are.
  • Your mentor is not an academic advisor or a mental health counselor. If your questions need to be answered by a professional staff person, your mentor can help you get connected to those resources.

Mentors can meet with you in-person at both campuses, over the phone, and on Zoom.

This happens sometimes. We do our best to match you with a mentor that we think will be a good fit for you but sometimes it just doesn't quite click. Feel free to reach out to transfer@depaul.edu and let us know that you'd like to be matched with a different mentor.

If you have been at DePaul for at least 2 quarters, keep an eye on the Campus Job Board for postings. We typically hire our mentors during spring quarter to be part of the team for the following academic year. If you have more questions about the requirements, etc. contact Annie Devine at annie.devine@depaul.edu.

Events

The Transfer Peer Mentors plan events from time to time just for transfer students like you! Our DeHub page has information about upcoming events and activities. Some event highlights include:

  • Transfer Tuesday student socials: themed events with a chance to connect with other transfer students and mentors.
  • National Transfer Student Week: Oct. 16-20, 2023
  • Access to ACE group success coaching events

Drop-In Mentoring is available!

Feel free to stop by anytime between 1pm-4pm, Mon-Thurs, and talk with one of our mentors or student success coaches – even if you already have a mentor or never got around to getting matched with one.

  • Loop: ACE Study Lounge, DPC 11017
  • Lincoln Park: Office of Multicultural Student Success, LPSC 105

Additional assistance

If you are a transfer student matched with a mentor, start by asking them any questions you have. If you need additional assistance or don’t have a mentor, email us at transfer@depaul.edu.

Meet the Mentors

Parvathy Parvathy
Parvathy

Pronouns: she/her

College: Computing & Digital Media

Bio:

Parvathy transferred to DePaul from Elmhurst University and is a senior studying Information Systems, Accounting, and User Experience Design. She loves to hang out with friends, listen to music, visit small coffee shops, and explore new places in her spare time. Parvathy’s favorite thing about DePaul is that it is not like a traditional college environment, and the campus feels welcoming to all students.

Mentoring Motivation:

The reason I wanted to become a mentor was that I wanted to help other transfer students tackle any problems they may face while trying to settle in. I want to be able to take what I learned in my experience and share tips and tricks that worked for me. Ultimately, helping find everyone's place at DePaul is what I hope to gain from this experience.
Jael Jael
Jael

Pronouns: she/her

College: Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

Bio:

Jael came to DePaul from Butler University and is a senior majoring in History. Chicago is her hometown, and she loves that there’s always a fun event going on or something to do. In her spare time, Jael likes reading, watching movies, and finding new coffee shops.

Mentoring Motivation:

I want to help people transferring to DePaul have a transfer experience as easy and as comfortable as others were able to make mine.

Ruchi Ruchi
Ruchi

Pronouns: she/her

College: Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

Bio:

Ruchi is from California and transferred to DePaul from UC Santa Cruz where she is now a junior majoring in Journalism. She enjoys cooking, sewing, and spending time outside in nature. Her favorite thing about DePaul is the location and she appreciates that Chicago has a convenient and environmentally friendly public transport system.

Mentoring Motivation:

Transferring schools is stressful and hectic, and I'd like to help others have the most seamless transfer possible.

Colby Colby
Colby

Pronouns: he/they

College: Computing & Digital Media

Bio:

Colby is from Massachusetts and came to DePaul from Ithaca College. He is a senior currently studying Film & Television in the College of Computing and Digital Media. In his spare time, he enjoys playing video games, singing, watching movies, visiting museums, and exploring new places. Colby’s career interests lie in the field of communications, music & entertainment, and art.

Mentoring Motivation:

What I enjoy most about being a Transfer Peer Mentor is being able to guide incoming transfer students and make their experiences just a little bit easier.

Riley Kay Riley Kay
Riley Kay

Pronouns: she/they

College: Science & Health

Bio:

Riley Kay hails from Pennsylvania and transferred to DePaul from Columbia College Chicago. She is a junior studying Psychology with a minor in Music and loves that she can have a balanced life at DePaul where she can explore both academic and artistic goals. Riley Kay’s extracurricular activities include playing several instruments (bass, guitar, piano) singing, listening to music, making art, and exploring Chicago—she loves the beauty of the city and the people.

Mentoring Motivation:
I had a transfer mentor who helped me a lot in this transition. I want to help others navigate coming to a new school because its intimidating at times.
Arham Arham
Arham

Pronouns: he/him

College: Science & Health

Bio:

Arham is from Bartlett and transferred from Harper College to DePaul. He is currently a senior majoring in Data Science. In his spare time, he enjoys playing soccer, working out, and spending time with friends. His favorite thing about DePaul is the community and he loves Chicago deep dish pizza.

Mentoring Motivation:

I want to help streamline the transfer of other students at DePaul and make it a stress-free transition!

Asia Asia
Asia

Pronouns: she/her

College: Computing & Digital Media

Bio:

Asia is a junior majoring in Film & Television with a minor in Journalism. She is originally from Georgia and transferred to DePaul from Tulane University. She likes to workout, read, bake, and write. Asia also enjoys exploring Chicago, especially all the hidden gem restaurants. She also likes the access to nature and outdoors—one of her favorite things is to spend a day at the Lakeshore.

Mentoring Motivation:

I wanted to become a mentor because as a transfer, I know how difficult it can be to make that transition and become acclimated, especially if you're far from home and new to Chicago. I wanted to be a mentor so that I could be a point of support for people like me and help make that transition just a little bit easier.
Ethan Ethan
Ethan

Pronouns: he/him

College: Science & Health

Bio:

Ethan hails from Park Ridge and transferred to DePaul from Oakton Community College. He is a senior, studying Psychology with a minor in Film Production. In his spare time, he likes to watch movies, play the piano, listen to music, and create/edit videos. Ethan says that DePaul is the perfect size—not too big or too small. His favorite thing about Chicago is that the city is always moving.

Mentoring Motivation:

I know from experience that transitioning to a new school can be hard, so I want to help new student's transition process go as smoothly as possible.

Kayla Kayla
Kayla

Pronouns: she/they

College: Science & Health

Bio:

Kayla grew up in Yorkville and started her college journey at Joliet Junior College. She is a junior at DePaul, studying Psychology with a minor in Criminology. Favorite pastimes include painting, video games, reading and hanging out with friends. She loves the lakefront in Chicago. When asked about the best part of DePaul, Kayla points to all the resources and activities that DePaul has for students.

Mentoring Motivation:

I want to help incoming students navigate DePaul.

Miki Miki
Miki

Pronouns: she/her

College: Science & Health

Bio:

Miki is from Florida and transferred to DePaul from Broward College as an adult student. She is currently a junior studying Psychology with a minor in Linguistics. She enjoys doing art and appreciated all the different events that are going on at DePaul all the time. When asked about her favorite thing about Chicago, Miki said she likes that there are 4 seasons (unlike Florida where it’s summer 24/7).

Mentoring Motivation:

Transferring into DePaul, I was given the opportunity to be mentored and it was something that made my experience into DePaul amazing. Transfers coming from out-of-state sometimes miss out on things that are important such as resources that the university offers, help taking the CTA for the first time, and just being able to be comfortable in a new environment with support. I want to be able to provide this to my mentees like my mentor did for me.

Grace Grace
Grace

Pronouns: she/her

College: Business

Bio:

Grace hails from Schaumburg and transferred to DePaul from College of DuPage. She is now a senior studying Marketing. Her favorite hobbies include shopping, thrifting, and reading. In her spare time, she enjoys watching Netflix and Hulu and spending time with family and friends. She loves the campus scenery at DePaul and the fact there are two different campus experiences in Lincoln Park and the Loop (spoiler: the Loop campus is her favorite). Her favorite thing about Chicago is the vibrant city scenery with the beautiful skyscrapers and Lake Michigan and she loves Chicago’s welcoming atmosphere and rich culture.

Mentoring Motivation:

I wanted to become a mentor to help guide future transfer students to acclimate to DePaul University. When transferring to a new university, it can be challenging to adapt to the new experiences. Therefore, offering students the opportunity to help aid them in this exciting new journey is one of the main reasons I wanted to become a mentor.

Lark Lark
Lark

Pronouns: she/they

College: School of Continuing & Professional Studies

Bio:

Lark grew up in Georgia and came to DePaul after attending Wilbur Wright College where she received her Associates in Social Work. She is currently a senior and an adult student at SCPS majoring in applied behavioral science and minoring in global Asian studies. Lark’s favorite thing about DePaul is that it has a small college feel even though it's spread across two campuses. She also appreciates the ease of registering for classes and the support she receives in her academic journey. In her downtime, she enjoys spending time with her pets, watching TV and movies, biking, puzzles of all kinds, and participating in and educating others about recovery from addiction, SSICK, and RACK.

Mentoring Motivation:

I wanted to offer adult students my experience navigating the transfer process and how I work to achieve balance between domestic, academic, employment, and social commitments.