Doctoral Peer Mentors: Who We Are
Presented Thursday June 8, 2017
Last updated 8/8/2017
Visual: Slide begins at “House Keeping details” and provides the information about this presentation such as closed captioning, and recording.
Audio: Terren: Justin is a doctoral student in the PhD management -- March, leadership and -- management, leadership and -- focus around management, leadership and enterprise applications. Sheree Keitt is a doctoral student in our Doctor of Public Health Program. She is currently working on her doctoral study and her research interests focus around health disparities, maternal, child, and adolescent health.
So that is a brief summary of our two doctoral peer mentors with us so let's get started to find out more about the program.
Visual: Slide changes to “Doctoral Peer Mentors” and includes photos of peer mentors.
Audio: Terren: So just a brief overview. Our doctoral peer mentor program consists of seven mentors from a variety of programs. I mentioned a couple of the programs already. Justin and Sheree, their photos are highlighted in blue here around the edges of their photos. But so the other programs are mentors come from are PhD public policy, community leadership, PHT forensic psychology, PhD curriculum and instruction. So just like you, as you can see here, by all the words on the screen, our doctoral peer mentors are working professionals, community leaders, et cetera.
So we're gonna find out just a little bit more about Justin and Sheree and their doctoral programs at Walden. So Sheree, let's start with you. Would you like to introduce yourself and tell us more about your program, your doctoral journey here at Walden, and how you came to be a doctor mentor?
Audio: Sheree: Sure, thank you, Terren for the introduction. And again, I'm Sheree Keitt, and I am a student in the doctor of public health program where I've completed by course work and I'm currently working on my doctoral study. I live in the Washington, D.C., area and work at the national association of county and city health officials as a senior analyst of public health programs. I have had a really interesting journey at Walden. Which has been great in terms of the university, but of course I've had some personal bumps along the way. Prior to my doctoral work, I received my Master of public health from Walden University. And as I continued my educational journey with the university, I've experienced just a lot of improvement in how the university provides supports to students such as more webinars, tutoring services and programs just like this one.
For me, the biggest thing has been balancing my life as a working professional, being a wife and a mother. During my doctoral program, I moved from across the country, from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. I got engaged, married, and I recently had twins who are nine months old. So as you can see, my life is crazy. [ Laughter ] But throughout all of these challenges, I've had support from these Student Success Advisors, my doctoral chair, peers that I've become friends with in class and residencies, and I've also had great support from my families and friends who have had to deal with me. As students we make a lot of sacrifices, but I just encourage you all to just really go at your own pace and realize that sometimes it's okay to take a breather.
Audio: Terren: That's great advice, Sheree. Thank you so much. It shows, you know, amidst many changes, being able to stay focused on your program, but, you know, knowing when you need to take a breather and really lean on your support system as well. So --
Audio: Sheree: Thank you.
Audio: Terren: And, Justin, the same for you. We would like to hear from you, your background, what your doctoral journey has been like at Walden and how you became a doctoral mentor?
Audio: Justin: Thank you. Thank you for having me. This afternoon. This morning for some people. I'm a management consultant, primarily working with manufacturers and distributors. I currently reside in the Pennsylvania area. And my doctoral journey has -- is very similar to Sheree's in terms of balancing -- balancing the work life and academic, so in a recent study that I reviewed, one researcher said that students do not fail academically in the doctoral studies. It's primarily because of the inability to manage their time. So doctoral mentors, myself as well as Sheree, as well as our other mentors, send out periodic, you know, tips, techniques on how to manage one's time.
In terms of Walden University, I believe that the resources on the Walden website, they're extensive, and they're very helpful, not only through your doctoral journey, but it will also support you once you do receive your doctoral degree. [ Inaudible ] I think that -- also I've seen students kind of come together and develop -- and student cohorts, and that has led to increased retention within the doctoral program.
Audio: Terren: Thank you, Justin. That's all valuable information there. And one way that our doctoral peer mentors connect with you primarily in the very beginning is through email. And so we're just curious for those of you who are in attendance tonight, if you've responded to the email from your doctoral peer mentor. Should have received that most certainly through your Walden email account. We know as new students, you do get a lot of emails. But just curious if you've been able to receive that.
Great. Looks like we have a couple of responses on -- that they have connected and -- or that they would like to learn more. Well, again, Justin and Sheree, thank you for sharing. Move on to our next slide about how you as doctoral peer mentors can help our students.
Visual: Slide changes to “Doctoral Peer Mentors” and includes a word cloud graphic that includes words such as “residency,” “doctoral,” “learning” and “encouragement.”
Audio: Terren: So with that said, Sheree, let's start with you again, if you don't mind. Can you provide some information and examples on how you as a mentor support your students?
Audio: Sheree: Definitely. As a peer mentor, I know that there are a number of opportunities to gain support from the university. However, I see my role as that person who has been in the shoes of every student and can provide advice from a student perspective. I provided my mentees with advice, encouragement, like I said, from a student perspective, and I've directed them to resources within the university.
As mentors, we understand the excitement and anxiety that can occur when starting a new program and starting a new school. So the adjustment can definitely be hard. So I just like to provide my mentees with a weekly email that's motivational, and also, provide them with just upcoming webinars, residencies, and just some opportunities that occur at the university throughout the week. So that they can stay connected or if they can't connected, they can become connected. We as mentors, we engage with our students from the start of their doctoral program until the completion of their first residency.
Audio: Terren: Great. Thank you. Yeah, those emails, and making them aware of webinars and opportunities, as you said earlier too, tutoring, and especially with residencies and getting connected there. So, Justin, would you like to provide some examples and information, I know, on how you connect with your students and -- as they get started in their program?
Audio: Justin: Yeah, so for me, the communication is key. In working with -- in working with our peers. I also send out periodic emails and for announcements and upcoming residencies and things like that. But toward the end of that communication, I send out, you know, lessons learned, frequently asked questions from previous students, what I refer to as Justin's nuggets. I also know that we also have another mentor, William, who has William's words of wisdom. So some of the main things that I continue to expand on is residencies. I try to say, you know, you need to go to a residency with a plan. And the residencies, in most cases, once you interact with the faculty, the faculty members that you speak with at the residencies more than likely will be -- will, one, be your dissertation chair, or will be on your dissertation committee. So it's all -- it's always important to interact with the faculty in one of the residencies.
We also talk about APA, as that's gonna be important throughout the entire doctoral journey. Another thing we talk about is, I explain more is time management, any kind of skills, tools, or videos that I can refer to -- the students to better manage their time and balance their work and life throughout this program is gonna be important as well as trying to find one of those cohorts, where you have accountability among your peers to continue on with the program. So, again, I think that the communication and just providing the mentees with the tools to be successful in the program is of the utmost importance through all of the peer mentors.
Audio: Terren: Mm-hmm. Great. Thank you. And I -- you know, this doctoral peer mentor program is new to Walden, so it's certainly something that new students who are able to be enrolled are able to take advantage of, but like for the both of you, Sheree, and Justin, you know, you weren't enrolled in a program such as this at the time. I mean, what do you think has been the most valuable -- how you've been able to stay connected as a student, whether that's with faculty or other students? Do you really -- was it at residency where you made those connections? Different groups outside of the classroom or through discussion posts and group work? Just kind of curious on how, you know, students -- new students can connect and what was -- what worked for you.
Audio: Sheree: This is Sheree -- oh, I'm sorry.
[Talking at the same time]
Audio: Terren: Sheree, go ahead.
Audio: Sheree: Okay. I would say that for me, it's definitely been the residencies. Going to residencies, I've been able to note people who are local, I've met with different people who have been -- who have worked in the same field as me. And I think the residencies were just so valuable because we see each other face-to-face, and then we were able to see that we were in classes together and things like that. So the residencies always have been great for me and just connecting with people, and I still have classmates that I've met at residencies that we share -- like we connected on a professional sites like LinkedIn and things like that, and we still talk to each other and encourage each other.
Audio: Terren: Those are some great examples. Thank you, Sheree. And for you, Justin? [Talking at the same time]
Audio: Justin: Yeah, I mean, I completely agree with Sheree that the residencies were where -- important in connecting with, you know, classmates you had in prior courses. I also connected with classmates, and I've actually created opportunities outside of Walden, you know, on a -- as Sheree said, on a professional level. And at the residencies, and communicating with our peers at the residencies. So we're on the same page on that one.
Audio: Terren: Well, I'd like to hear from those of you who are attending this evening. Kind of a short answer here -- question, I'm sorry, with a short answer. How can we help you as a new doctoral student at Walden? Is there anything that you're -- you have questions about right now? Or questions about within the program of doc peer mentoring, but as a Walden student, is there anything that you would like to discuss with us tonight and ask a question? [ Inaudible ]
Audio: Justin: Yeah, I see in the chat box that Jennifer says she's attending the Phoenix residency. And typically you will get a, you know, receive an agenda like a couple days before that residency begins. And during that residency, you're required to attend a session with faculty members. So one thing I would say is to find a faculty member with similar research background, a faculty member within your program, and just have a session with them to kind of pick their brains on, you know, first, thinking of a, you know, a dissertation topic or area. That way, you can start thinking about your dissertation topic, and then you can begin integrating those topics into your current course work. Which will speed up the process for a dissertation.
Audio: Terren: Great advice, Justin. There is one question in here -- well, there's a couple of questions, but could you tell us a little bit more about the library and how you have used that as a student? And the kind of support they've provided for you, maybe particularly to your program, Sheree?
Audio: Sheree: Sure. And just to make the point about residencies and the library, because we are transitioning, the residencies are great places to connect with library staff. An example I use is, as I told y'all, I received my Master's in public health from the university. And when I went to my first residency as a doctoral student, I realized that I was not using the library correctly. And I sat in a session where it was a introduction to the library, and then I went and sat with -- someone from the library, and they literally showed me how to search, what journals to use, and really just how to properly use the library, and I think that's something that we don't think about. It's something we don't -- we think we just go in, maybe use the Google search or the search within the library and not properly search for items or use citations. I've really learned -- I feel like I'm an APA pro now. [ Laughter ]
So I think -- yeah, I think the library is great. That's a great -- there's some great resources. And again, you can -- you don't have to be -- you don't have to be at a residency to contact the library or set up times. So to ask questions, I really think that the library is a great resource, and I encourage you all to just set up some time. Go, take some time to just go to the library website and just explore, gather up some questions, and then contact the library with those questions.
Audio: Terren: And, Justin, there's a question here and I know it varies program to program, based on if you're in a doctoral study program or if you're gonna be a dissertation about kind of a doctoral action project or pro -- basically, the doctoral studies, but a student is asking about them. Can you just maybe touch base on how the residencies build the -- in content, just briefly? To prepare you for the dissertation?
Audio: Justin: Yeah, so at the residencies, there are -- there are multiple required sessions that you can attend. But there's also optional sessions in terms of -- in terms of preparation for your dissertation. That you can attend. So -- and Walden does a great -- a great job at kind of giving you a balance where you can -- you have time to, you know, work on your personal -- your personal requirement in terms of work, or you can work on your course work in certain sessions, but during that time, there are optional sessions that you can attend. And I would highly suggest that you attend those optional sessions because there are kind of nuggets, if you will, within -- within those sessions that assist in preparing for your doctoral study as well as assisting in your APA formatting throughout the course work as well as developing a scholarly voice in both the course work and your dissertation.
Audio: Terren: Great, thank you, Justin. I will just clarify for all students, you do have your program of study and availability through your degree audit via your student portal which does outline all of your courses and your requirements for your doctoral study or dissertation. And then at residency, that's the main focus a lot of times for most of the sessions, the required ones, and then some of the optional ones, to give you more information about how you're going to build toward your doc study or dissertation, and then once you're in the process.
So, great. A lot of valuable information here, but we're gonna move forward because we want to make sure that you know how to connect with our doctoral peer mentors.
Visual: Slide changes to “Doctoral Peer Mentors” and includes links to connect, including email (documentorsupport@mail.waldenu.edu), Skype for Business, and Facebook.
Audio: Terren: As I said earlier, when we took a poll, you should received a welcome email from your assigned doctoral peer mentor. The general email account to -- if you have some questions is docmentorsupport@mail.Waldenu.edu. That's the best way with your doctoral peer mentor. You also have the option to use Skype for business. To connect with your peer mentor. You know, verbally and through audio.
And just recently we did launch a Facebook group. So if you're on Facebook, if you just search for doctoral peer mentor group, dash, Walden University, you'll find us there, most of our doctoral peer mentors are there to answer your questions. And we're gonna have content on a weekly basis which seems to help students as they're going through the first part of your doctoral journey.
So I just want to ask quick, Sheree or Justin, how, you know, you've kind of talked about how you connect with students. Be it primarily, you know, very ya email or Skype for business? Sheree, you want to go first?
Audio: Sheree: I first make the connection via email, but I love Skype because it's great. It allows us to connect with our peers and to put a face to a name and a voice. I know sometimes since we're taking online classes, you can feel alone, but it shows you that we're real people. And it just gives back that personal connection. So my preference is Skype.
Audio: Terren: Great. And, Justin, for you?
Audio: Justin: Yeah, I -- [Talking at the same time] I also want to say connect via email. And it depends on the -- on the peer. On the mentee. In that, you know, people are busy and sometimes they don't really have time to Skype, but, again, that is my preference, but again, it just depends on the preference of the student.
Audio: Terren: Yep. And certainly we've had -- we're -- doctoral peer mentors are here to help and they're there as much as you want to interact with them. And so like this webinar is one more way that we're trying to connect with you as new students and mentees in the program. And, you know, being able to connect with them directly via email and Skype for business are a great way to do that.
Visual: Slide changes to “Doctoral Peer Mentors- Questions”
Audio: Terren: [ Inaudible ] So just as a reminder, you know, we are here for you from the first. And you should have, you know, received an introductory email from your peer mentor. I would highly recommend that you do respond to that and let, you know, whether you use that connection regularly or just on occasion when you want more of an view or just an answer from another student who's been through the same process, just message them, successful start here will equal a strong finish for you at Walden.
Now, please feel free at this time to ask any questions that you might have in the chat box. I did see one question come in when Justin was mentioning APA style, and if there is support for APA. And well, essentially, we have -- certainly, we have the Writing Center. Which has many resources for our students. Sheree or Justin, do either of you use the Writing Center? Throughout your journey here at Walden? And if so, how? Sheree, do you want to go first?
Audio: Sheree: Sure. For the most part, I've used the Writing Center just to connect via webinars. I know that there's a lot of webinars monthly. I see various webinars, and I've listened to a lot of the webinars around APA. So mainly through the webinars. But I know there's opportunities to, you know, do multiple numbers of things, but that's basically how I connected.
Audio: Terren: And, Justin, do you have anything to add?
Audio: Justin: Yeah, so, yeah, through those -- through the Writing Center webinars, one thing that I did before I even began my courses at Walden is to listen to all the webinars through the -- well, as many as I could, four the Writing Center on the Walden website. So just like this, just like this section, all webinars will be recorded and reported on the respective sites within the Walden website. So that's one thing I did to develop, you know, to build my APA skills. Another thing that the Writing Center offers is, you can create -- you can schedule appointments with the Writing Center, where they can actually review with you course work and provide feedback in developing scholarly voice, form and style, and things of that nature. So I did -- once I began my program, I did schedule quite a few appointments so they can review my work before I submitted. As well as once you're working on your doctoral study, they'll actually review your premise and probably your prospectus as well. So once you're further along the process, you can go back to the Writing Center for that.
Audio: Terren: Yeah. Yeah, there are a lot of resources between Academic Skills Center, the library, and the Writing Center. I mean, we all have our specific purposes to support you students academically, and so certainly taking the time to take advantage of those resources is important and will help you along.
So -- thank you for sharing, Sheree and Justin.
Visual: Slide changes to “Academic Skills Center: Here to Help” and includes links to various areas of the Academic Skills Center web page.
Audio: Terren: All right, well, we've come towards the end of our webinar here tonight. I just want to touch on a few areas in which the Academic Skills Center is here to help you. First of all, we do offer tutoring, one on one, for students, in statistics and bio stats, math, accounting and finance and other areas that you see here on the screen. And then we also provide different resources for success strategies. Justin was talking about time management earlier. There's also brainstorming, solving problems, and other areas that are listed on the screen. Unfortunately, you can't -- just so you know -- click on the blue link here. If you go to the web links pod on your screen, you can get to the Academic Skills Center home and also to our doc peer mentor home group web page as well.
And just like tonight, we do offer live presentations on a regular basis. Throughout each month. And so if you would like, you can make sure to register for those. You'll -- as students, you'll get emails from student communications on presentations and webinars that are coming up. But we also do have a academic skills, a savvy student newsletter that goes out once a month, so you can subscribe to the monthly newsletter to get specific Academic Skills Center presentation information and other helpful information to support you in this journey.
So I just want to thank Sheree and Justin, again for being with us this even and for all of our doc peer mentors who with our mentees at Walden. And wanted to welcome all of our new Walden students and wish you the best on your new journey and just remember that we are here to support you, and please do connect with us via the multiple ways that you're able to. Justin, Sheree, do you want to say good night? And thank you so much for being with us.
Audio: Sheree: Thank you, everybody, for joining, and hearing our stories. Just we're peers like you, and we understand everything, and this is why we're part of this program.
Audio: Terren: Thanks, Sheree. And, Justin, very good night to you. I will put one final poll here. Go ahead, Justin. Yes.
Audio: Justin: I'm good.
Audio: Terren: All right. Well, thank you for attending the doc peer mentor webinar. Have a good evening, everyone. Thank you.