Office of Student Life
Involved Living

R-LEAD Peer Mentors

R-LEAD Peer Mentors serve as small group facilitators and mentors for program participants who are incoming first-year Buckeyes. Peer Mentors (PMs) arrive early on campus to undergo training before their mentees arrive. PMs facilitate community building, program activity debriefs, and participate in all aspects of R-LEAD. This is a volunteer undergraduate student leader position.

The 2025 Peer Mentor Application is closed. Applications for next summer will open in February 2026.

Peer Mentors will...

  • Move to Columbus/Campus early
  • Co-lead or lead a Legacy Group of approximately 10-20 first-year students. 
  • Be able to share their college experiences with first-year students and serve as a role model. 
  • Assist first-year students in familiarizing themselves with campus resources and involvement opportunities.

Peer Mentor Job Description

  • Serve as a mentor and role model to R-LEAD participants 
  • Co-lead a Legacy Group composed of 10-20 first-year students  
  • Help students get to locations during the R-LEAD program
  • Facilitate community building among your legacy and others in the program 
  • Facilitate small group discussions about college life, campus resources, and involvement opportunities 
  • Facilitate conversations about current events and Housing and Residence Education Core Values with Legacy Groups 
  • Remain engaged during the entirety of the R-LEAD Program, including program sessions 

Dates of Program (Subject to Change) 

Peer Mentor Training (typically a couple of days before the program starting) 

  • Please click the picture on this webpage to see a past example of the PM training schedule.
  • Peer Mentors can plan to move in on Saturday, 8/16.
  • Peer Mentors are required to move in on Saturday, August 16. Training will begin at 2 pm on the North Campus. On Sunday, we'll have training from the morning and have a break before the R-LEAD kickoff event begins.

R-LEAD Program Sun. 8/17 - Wed. 8/20

  • OWL Program (All R-LEAD participants will also participate in the OWL program) R-LEAD participants will participate and be trained as OWLs once the R-LEAD program ends.
  •  ** Peer mentors are NOT required to be a part of the OWL program once the R-LEAD program ends.**
  • R-LEAD participants will be required to participate in the OWL program, but as a peer mentor, you will not. If you're looking to also participate in the Ohio State Welcome Leader (OWL) program, you'll need to apply to that program here separately: http://housing.osu.edu/secure/owl

For more information, please contact Leah Wheeler, Assistant Director of Residential Leadership & Involvement at wheeler.1110@osu.edu.