A Standard of Care and Action

“This certification proves that we are meeting a standard of care and action that is recognized and accepted by a national organization,” says Madeline Leonard, assistant director of the Office of Academic Success and Enrichment on the Long Island campus. “It reassures us that we have been and are still on the right track with our Peer Success GUIDE Program (PSG).”

Leonard speaks of the College Reading and Learning Association’s (CRLA) International Peer Educator Training Program Certification (IPETPC), awarded to the PSG program before the fall 2024 semester kicked off. The certification—valid through December 2026—empowers the program to recognize students for completing CRLA-approved program requirements, allowing those students to become certified peer educators.

There are 20 PSGs, with 10 working in New York City and 10 working on Long Island. Each PSG has successfully completed their first year at the university and is paired with students who are beginning their journey at New York Tech. The guides keep in touch for the duration of the mentees’ first year to provide both social and academic support. With the IPETPC, guides can take their role a step further—at least 10 hours of training, formal performance evaluations and continuous supervision, and at least 25 hours of direct mentee contact comprise certification requirements.

“Rather than writing on their résumé that they were simply a PSG, these students can now strongly quantify their work,” Leonard explains. “They’ll also receive a physical and digital certification to show off and upload to LinkedIn.”

Leonard has co-managed the PSG program with Tadiyos Gebre, director of the Office of Academic Success and Enrichment on the New York City campus, since its inception in 2021. Getting the program off the ground is one of her proudest achievements, and she now oversees the Long Island PSGs, including biweekly meetings with them, regular check-ins to ensure mentees are engaging with the program, and recruitment and hiring for the next year. 

A typical week involves much more than PSG program duties, though. Leonard manages all undergraduate academic support programs on Long Island, including peer tutoring at the Learning Center, Supplemental Instruction, and Academic Skill Workshops. She also provides support to programs like Achieving Collegiate Excellence, the Math Resource Center, and the Writing Center. Leonard welcomes her day-to-day responsibilities with open arms.

“As a supervisor to so many student leaders, it’s the best feeling to work with them and see how they develop in part from my guidance and more so from the opportunity we give them to experience success and failures and learn,” she says. “I truly believe the holistic, empathetic, and success-driven support our programs and leadership opportunities offer will transcend their time at New York Tech.”

Leonard’s work deeply moves her, but her current career wasn’t the one she saw in her future. With a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Western New England University and a master’s degree in athletic counselling from Springfield College, she planned to enter the sports psychology field. But an on-campus job in the academic success office during her undergraduate years changed everything. She continued as a graduate assistant in the same line of work—helping students on academic probation find success—and realized that her knowledge and skills in clinical counseling and sports psychology offered the means to encourage student performance and success.

“Try something new,” Leonard advises current students. “Experiencing life outside of the classroom will positively impact your time here.” For prospective and new students, she emphasizes the importance of speaking up and asking for help when needed. When in doubt, “your PSG is a great place to start.”