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Peer Mentors

Peer mentors are crucial to the success of our FUTURE students. These volunteers help with the day-to-day campus lives of students, including anything from in-class help to being lunch buddies. Different positions and opportunities can be found in our mentor handbook below. Also, check out all of the great things current mentors have to say about the program!

FUTURE is always accepting new mentors to join our team. Fill out this form to receive more information.

Testimonials

“What I love about FUTURE is the fact that it puts the person before the disability, which is the way it should be. This program has made it possible for students who have IDD to not only continue their education but to also learn to become more independent after high school… I believe these students have gained lifelong friendships from having mentors and vice versa. This experience has definitely taught me so much, from how to handle meltdowns to certain situations that might pop up when I am teaching students that have disabilities in the future. I will forever be thankful for FUTURE and can’t wait to continue working with this program!”

—Heather A.

 

“FUTURE is an amazing hidden gem filled with great people—mentors, students, and supporting faculty and staff. Not only do I have the opportunity to work alongside these people, but personally, I am interested in diversity and inclusion at UT and working with FUTURE students has taught me a lot about the topic in ways that I would not have predicted.”

—Annie T.

 

“The FUTURE program is a really great thing for a lot of people. Something about a lot of these students is that they’re often overlooked or discounted by the general population just because they’re “different,” and I love that being a peer mentor means that I get to spend 1–2 hours a week getting to know these students better, because they are no different from you or me. When you spend even that amount of time with them, you come to see the wonderful wonderful personalities just shine through. I brag about “my FUTURE kids” to my friends and classmates all the time, because every experience I have with them makes my heart feel happy and glowy, and once I start talking about them, I normally can’t stop!  The students love the mentors and the program, and we love the students.”

—Amber D.