As you walk into Building 10 you will see that in between the Grossmont College Counseling and Transfer Center, you’ll find the First Year Experience program (FYE). 

Grossmont College offers tons of resources across campus, and for incoming students it may be hard to navigate. FYE offers an immense amount of help to first-year students with support that ranges from dedicated counselors, learning communities, and the ability to answer any question you may have.  

We had the opportunity to speak with Jordan Cummings, a forensic science major and a former FYE student turned FYE mentor.  

Cummings hopes to finish her forensic degree at Grossmont College, begin interning in her field and get a bachelor’s in chemistry at San Diego State University.  

How were you first introduced to FYE? 

“At my high school (Patrick Henry High School), Grossmont College had outreach come and help us out with applications. There were some FYE mentors there and they told me ‘Because you are applying you should also sign up for this program. It is a first-year program and will be there for you if you need any help.’ At the time I thought that I might as well sign up for it, what do I have to lose.” 

How did First Year Experience help you? 

“It helped me build connections on campus. I would’ve not gotten my FYE mentor position if I wasn’t a part of the program. Just interacting with my mentors, meeting with counselors helped me out in the sense that I had people I could trust on campus when I had an issue going on. It was also really nice because when I would stress about meeting with a counselor, I could text my mentors and she would make an appointment for me.” 

What made you want to start working with the program as a mentor? 

“Honestly, I wasn’t thinking about work at all. It was during COVID quarantine and I thought nobody would want to be hiring, if anything I was hearing people were being fired instead of hired. When I filled out my application to the college, I put that I was interested in work study. But I didn’t know what any of that was. Then during one of my last counseling appointments that semester they told me that they thought I would be perfect for this position, here I am thinking it is a volunteer thing and saying ‘yeah, I would love to’. Then she said it was paid. I was like ‘whatttt.’ Now, I am super glad I made the decision and can help students.” 

What do you hope to achieve while working there? 

“When you help students when they are super stressed, taking that weight off their shoulders is just a really nice feeling. I’m helping these students and then I get to see them succeed.” 

Anything you would like to add? 

“When you start college, you think you are very alone in the sense that you have to figure everything out by yourself, especially if you don’t have family that has gone to college. I think our program is a good thing to have in your back pocket. I went to my mentor a lot and sometimes it was just to talk. It is always good to have that person you can reach out to.” 

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Outreach Peer Ambassadors are often the first faces you see when you walk onto campus.  

They are loaded with information on Grossmont College and because many are students themselves, they are the perfect resource to ask questions, get help applying and anything else new and current students need. They also have a virtual help center where it has information on where, how, and when you can reach them or even schedule a tour of Grossmont College.  

We reached out to Justin Fejeran, a photography major and peer ambassador here on campus, to learn more about the Outreach Department and peer ambassadors.  

Fejeran hopes to achieve a bachelor’s in photography then a master’s degree in fine arts. Once accomplishing these impressive feats, he then wants to teach photography.   

It is the Outreach Department’s mission to support students and help guide them through their journey here at Grossmont College. Taking some time out of his day, Fejeran allowed us to receive more insight on the experiences of being a peer ambassador.  

To learn more about the Outreach Department, visit their website or follow them on Instagram. 

What do peer ambassadors do? 

“We have two main jobs. The first one is when we are at Grossmont College helping people register, choose their classes, navigate our school, and give tours. Then, our other job is when we go out to events and high schools and help incoming students get started at Grossmont College, sign up, and show them the process.” 

How is it being a peer ambassador?  

“It is rewarding. A lot of the time you meet students, and you can tell they are completely lost, so it is nice to help. I also think it is really easy to put yourself in their shoes and understand how frustrating it is. Then sometimes you will have a student come back and have that little moment of connection.” 

What are frequent questions that are asked? 

“Number one is, ‘Where can I go for this?’ and that is always going to be a point towards admissions and records, financial aid, or counseling. The second one is, ‘Is parking free?’ or ‘How much is parking?’. The third most common one is from counselors asking, ‘Can you help this person register out their classes?’. They pick out the sections the student needs and then we go through and figure out what classes and times work best for them.” 

What advice do you give to a new student? 

“Learn new study strategies because the one in high school may not necessarily work now. In high school it is extremely easy to expect your teacher to get on you about doing your work. You do not really get that in college. College professors expect you to be independent. So, finding that time to teach yourself is important. Also, do not be afraid to ask questions. I see so many students who are afraid to ask questions and we try to engage with them, but they don’t really give us anything. Then I will see them five times a week.” 

Anything else you want to add? 

“If you are ever looking to be a full-time student, take classes that you enjoy. It is extremely important to take a course that you feel is fun. Often some students ask me what the easiest class is. So, they look at classes that they think will be easy, and these students often fail. The truly easy classes are going to be the ones you enjoy learning the most because it is easy to get invested. You might have forty pages to read for the week, but if you enjoy it those pages will feel like nothing.” 

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On the afternoon of June 8, 2023, while the sun was shining through the clouds on the Middle College graduation, Snehal Lobo was getting ready to walk the stage as part of the class of 2023.  

Lobo was getting ready to celebrate three major accomplishments: receiving her high school diploma plus two associate degrees from Grossmont College, one in business administration and one in economics. Lobo accomplished this at the age of 17, making her the youngest graduate of the class of 2023.  

For Lobo, her journey after Grossmont College includes transferring to UC Los Angeles where she plans to pursue a career as quantitative economist and hopes to work in government. We talked to Lobo after her graduation to learn more about her story, her participation in the Middle College program and more. 

What is your story? 

“I grew up as the eldest daughter in an Indian house, which is never any fun because all the pressure is on you. My mom was 25 when she had me, so she was kind of raising herself as she was raising me. So, that was hard to deal with. When I was younger, she was strict. Like if I were to get something wrong on my spelling test like “people” she would have me spell it 20 times.” 

Why economics and business?  

“I have always been interested in math, my dad played a lot of solitaire and sudoku. That just kind of got me interested in the math field.” 

What is the Grossmont Middle College High School program? 

“The Middle College program is where high school students get a head start on college, whether that be financially or getting used to the college workload. We have to take at least 6 units a semester, these are all college classes. You can do general educations classes. You can do specialty classes like career technical education. Just really anything that interests you.” 

What inspired you to take this route? 

“Have you heard about the college board? Well, my college classes are only a semester long, we get guaranteed credit if we pass the class. Which worked better for me than your AP credit hinging on one test. That’s why I wanted to do the college class route. And this was the best school for that.” 

What classes did you choose? 

“I did a mix, I wanted to get an associate by the time I left the high school. I did get that, I got one in business administration and one in economics.” 

How did you stay motivated? 

“For me education is very valued in my family, so it is a bit easier to stay on the education route. But it was definitely hard, like this spring semester I think I overloaded on college credits. Plus, I was finishing up high school as well. Sleep gets sacrificed a bit, you know. When you are that close to your goal you just kind of go for it.” 

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