How do I submit assignments in Canvas? Where can I get a laptop or hotspot? Is there transportation to campus? How do I find a tutor? How do I get my textbooks? What happens if my car breaks down and I need emergency money?
Those are some of the questions students often ask at UNM-Taos. This fall, a newly trained group of peer navigators will help provide answers.
Nine UNM-Taos work-study students recently completed the college’s first Peer Navigator training program, a seven-week series designed to help students connect their fellow students with resources, services, and support systems that contribute to academic success. All ten UNM-Taos work-study students were invited to join.
The inaugural class of peer navigators includes Italia Aguilar, Anthony Cortez-Arguello, Joshua Cardenas, Morgan Gentry, Darien Isaacs, Cassandra Maestas, Mercedez Maestas, Zaira Ruiz, and Julia Torres. The students were recognized for completing the program during La Resolana on Aug. 27.
Student Resource Navigator Cami Hartman said the goal is to ensure work-study students are prepared to help fellow Lobos navigate college life and connect with available resources.
“It’s a brand-new program from UNM-Taos using UNM-Taos HIVE, the DreamTree Project, UNM Main campus’s Benefits & Employee Wellness, and in-house training on all of the supports we offer students here, peppered with a couple of outside resources that students need to know as well,” Hartman said.
Peer navigators occupy a unique role on campus because they share many of the same experiences as the students they serve. Whether helping someone understand college processes, locate resources, or find support during a difficult time, their firsthand perspective helps build trust and connection.
“The idea is that all work-study students are trained as peer navigators, so when they are asked a question, they can support fellow students,” Hartman said. “They will be presenting to their classrooms on events and workshops, they will be presenting at New Student Orientation, and attending various functions, including tabling at area high schools.”
Cassandra Maestas, one of the newly trained peer navigators, said she became involved to help her classmates get familiar with campus, connect them with available support, and to “help them with anything they are having trouble with.” Maestas added, “I believe doing this peer navigation has taught me more about the resources that are available to us students.”
Because peer navigators are also students, they can often make it easier for others to ask for assistance. They help reduce the stigma surrounding requests for assistance, offer practical guidance, and connect students with resources ranging from tutoring and academic advising to transportation services, food assistance, mental health support, and emergency funding options.
Throughout the summer, participants completed 28 training modules covering communication, customer service, resource navigation, student services, and wellness. Training included customer service excellence workshops through UNM-Taos HIVE, sessions on financial aid, academic advising, CASA tutoring and accommodations services, transportation resources such as MyBlue and the Blue Bus, technology support, student resource navigation, suicide prevention, overdose prevention, and other programs designed to help students succeed.
The Peer Navigator program reflects UNM-Taos’s commitment to student success by creating another pathway for students to access information, resources, and support. By helping fellow Lobos best traverse the challenges of college life, these student leaders are strengthening connections across campus and ensuring that no student has to figure it all out alone.