Community Advocates ASU

Guidance. Support. Connection.

Community Advocates Peer Mentor Program

The Community Advocates Peer Mentor Program was created with a simple belief: graduate students learn best from those who have walked the path before them.

Navigating a graduate program is not just about coursework. It is also about finding your place, managing competing demands, and recognizing that you are not alone in your experiences.

Our program connects first-year graduate students with experienced peer mentors who understand the unique challenges of your program, your school, and your life. Unlike traditional mentoring, peer mentors know what it is like to be exactly where you are right now. They have managed similar workloads, faced similar doubts, and built the kinds of connections that make graduate school more meaningful.

What you’ll gain

By joining a peer mentor group, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Gain insights on balancing coursework, research, and personal life
  • Build a supportive network within the ASU graduate community
  • Receive practical advice on managing stress and expectations

Your time commitment

Peer mentor groups meet twice per month for at least one hour per session. Each group is either fully virtual or hybrid, allowing you to participate in a way that works with your schedule.

Join us for a virtual welcome

We're hosting a virtual welcome for all mentees on Friday, September 4 from 10am–11am via Zoom.

Staff from the Community Advocates program, along with mentors, will be available to answer questions. It’s also an opportunity to connect and meet others. Apply today so you can join us!

RSVP Today

Sign up

Get Started

All students are welcome to sign up for any group listed below. 

Your peer mentors will reach out to welcome you soon after.

Sign Up

2026-2027 Mentor Groups

Whether you're drawn to a particular group or you're still exploring what matters to you, there's a place for you here.

Everyone belongs. Our peer mentor groups are designed to support all first-year graduate students as you navigate your first semester. No matter who you are or what you're looking for, our mentors are trained and ready to walk alongside you through grad school.


MaMAs & PhDads 

Finding balance, support, and community.

Our mentors have experience with parenting, online students, working students, and community engagement. 

VIRTUAL


Rainbow Grads

Cultivating community and connection across the spectrum.

Our mentors have experience supporting non-traditional students from various backgrounds including lavender communities and international students.

HYBRID



Executive Function Junction

Celebrating minds of all kinds

Our mentors have experience with executive functioning skills building, mental health challenges, neurodivergent issues, reciprocal learning, strength-based models. 

HYBRID


Roots & Routes

From Roots to Routes: Belong, Grow, Thrive

Our mentors have experience rooting in identity and community as a new Sun Devil, and growing through your degree path. 

HYBRID


Unbound Scholars

Beyond Barriers. Toward Possibility


Our mentors have experience supporting virtual/hybrid learning, building peer connections, managing work/life balance, supporting students with disabilities, and pursuing social sciences—join if any of these areas speak to you. 

HYBRID


Scholars for Change

Building community and a more sustainable future 


Our mentors have experience with online and international students, values-driven leadership, sustainability and social science students. 

HYBRID


The STEM Pathways Collective

Step into STEM, Together    


Our mentors have experience with supporting the navigation of STEM and research-related pathways—educationally, personally, and professionally—through mentorship grounded in shared graduate school experience, collaborative goal-setting, and problem-solving. 

VIRTUAL


Common Grounds

Different experiences. Shared community. Lots of Coffee.


Our mentors have experience with building common ground among graduate students across differences in identity, background, discipline, and learning modality. 

HYBRID


Waypoint

Half a world away. Here to help you find your way.  


Our mentors have experience supporting international students in navigating ASU's systems, managing time zones and academic resources, building connections, and balancing remote study with life outside the classroom. 

VIRTUAL


Proof & Policy

Uncovering Truth & Creating Structure


Our mentors have experience with higher education academic coaching, student leadership, and community facilitation. 

VIRTUAL


From Practice to PhD

There is no single timeline to academia.


Our mentors have experience transitioning from Masters to PhD, as well as students who are coming back to school after professional experience 

HYBRID


Your Growth Compass

Finding Your Direction. Growing With Purpose.    


Our mentors have experience as working professionals, parents, and adult learners pursuing online education, business leadership, or entrepreneurship while balancing multiple goals. 

HYBRID


Let it be.

Support, not stress, in the strive toward excellence!   


Mentoring non-traditional students—working professionals, returning adults, and international learners—pursuing online degrees through scholarships and fellowships. VIRTUAL


Impact beyond coursework

Connect. Contribute. Grow.    


Our mentors have experience turning graduate school experiences into community engagement, connection, and impact. 

HYBRID


Balanced by Design

Engineering a graduate life that works for you.


Our mentors have experience navigating STEM graduate school while maintaining wellness, hobbies, and a life outside research. 

HYBRID


You don't have to navigate graduate school alone. Find Your Community