Meet Hayley and Fenix, one of the first mentorship pairs in the Mustang Mentors peer mentoring program.
Fenix, a freshman at SMU, arrived on campus in Fall 2024 excited to explore every opportunity to invest in herself. As an undecided major, she was looking for guidance from someone who had been in her shoes and shared her academic interest and goals. Who better than a peer?
After receiving an invitation to join Mustang Mentors, Fenix was matched with Hayley, a senior majoring in Applied Physiology and Sport Management. Initially, Hayley said, “I was so nervous to be a mentor, and then once I met Fenix and realized how much we had in common, I knew I could actually help her with the things she needed.”
Fenix’s academic and career interests ranged from business to advertising, marketing to communications, and everything in between – very similar to Hayley’s.
“When I would talk to Hayley about her experiences with applications to Advertising and to Cox, then making her shift to sports management, it gave me confidence to say ‘Okay, I’ll end up where I need to be at the end of the day. There is so much I can do at this school,'” said Fenix.
For Hayley, the leadership opportunity to be a mentor during her senior year came at the perfect time. When the program came across her email, she knew “this could be a good opportunity to keep me accountable and to also meet someone I would’ve never met in any other setting.”
Both Fenix and Hayley shared the impact of peer mentorship on their college experience. “Having a peer mentor is motivating — especially knowing you are not alone and that you can ask for help. It gives you a foundation to keep you grounded in yourself and make more friends,” says Fenix.
“Being on the other end of this as a mentor, it’s a good way to see where I’m at with my leadership skills. I’m not one to normally put myself out there for positions like this, so it’s an experience I wouldn’t have ever gotten without this program,” says Hayley.
Peer Mentorship Matters
Hayley and Fenix’s mentorship highlights the important role of peer mentorship at SMU. Click here to watch their brief interview on youtube!
If you know a student who could benefit from Mustang Mentors, encourage them to email us at mustangmentors@smu.edu or visit our website smu.edu/mustangmentors!
