Middle school is a time of transition that can become tough for students struggling with their academics, social life, and home life. Azusa Pacific University has a long standing partnership with Azusa Unified School District (AUSD) through a variety of academic service learning projects that allow college students to connect with and encourage younger students. APU social work students in the Human Behavior in Social Environments class taught by Alina Bond, MSW, LCSW, get the opportunity to connect students from Gladstone Middle School (GMS) to make their school experience easier and more enjoyable.
Based on the number of APU students enrolled in the class, the GMS counselors refer students they think would benefit from having a Cougar Pal. These students often need positive encouragement about going to college, struggle making social connections, need help with their school work, or would benefit from an older sibling type mentor. GMS counselors Dominique Perez and Queren Eusebio facilitate the Cougars Pal partnership. “Our students enjoy connecting with their mentors and feel special having college students who want to know them,” Perez said.
The program takes place on GMS’s campus where APU mentors meet with their students once a week for about an hour to work on or talk about whatever would most benefit the student. “The first meeting takes time for the student to open up, but now my student loves talking with me,” said Kate Timon ’27, a social work major with a minor in biblical studies. “She shares what she’s comfortable with when I ask how things are going and she enjoys our time together.” Timon and her student made question cards that they pull from each week as a get-to-know-you icebreaker. She also opens up the conversation by asking her student about highs and lows of the past week. “This allows her to talk about her experiences,” she said. “Our conversations flow really well which goes to show that our meetings don’t have to be super structured. Usually she just wants someone to talk to about what’s on her mind, so if there’s something specific that I’m noticing or she mentions a struggle I’ll guide the conversation in that direction, but otherwise I give her that intentional space to feel heard.”
Social work sophomore Alese Smith ’27 has also enjoyed connecting with her student. “After they open up, it’s a really cool relationship,” she said. “We’ve been focusing on personal conversations and growth. It’s been fun to learn about her, and it’s good to know that I am someone she’s comfortable talking with and seeing as a support system.” Smith’s middle school student has been considering transitioning back to online school because of social struggles. However, since starting in the Cougar Pals program, her grades have improved and she’s made friends in her classes leading her to lean towards continuing school in person. “I’ve had to move and start at schools where I didn’t know anyone either,” Smith said. “I understand what she’s feeling and use my experience to ask her questions about how she feels and help her think about the pros and cons of different types of schooling. I’m mainly there to help her recognize all of her options and support her decision.”
Academic service learning has given APU students opportunities to see how they can live out their faith vocationally while helping others. Timon said that something that’s been on her mind is how Jesus participated in ministry with all kinds of people yet managed to make them all feel seen and understood, something she aspires to learn how to do as a mentor from what she’s learned in her classes.
Smith has also enjoyed being able to gain hands-on experience through the program. “This program is great because you’re not thrown into something too heavy,” she said. “You’re not expected to be your student’s counselor or therapist, you’re there to be their friend. I want to become a care pastor after graduation, so I was nervous about how I was going to show my faith in my interactions with my student, but having this in person experience has helped guide me in balancing my faith and has been a huge area of growth for me.”
Cougar Pals is designed to uphold principle four of APU’s community engagement principles. This means that the program is an equal partnership between APU and GMS where both parties benefit in some way and cultivate healthy, positive connections within the community. “This program allows APU students to interact with the community and see the challenges faced by the many demographics throughout the city,” Eusebio said. “APU sees us and our kids get to see college life. Our students light up and have such big smiles when their mentors come by. They feel truly noticed and heard.” Timon’s favorite memory of her student is a testament to that sentiment. “My second time going to GMS, I was signing in and my student came over and told me she had missed me,” she said. “It’s gratifying to know that we can make a difference in their lives.” Perez said she can also see the positive changes in GMS students who have a Cougar Pal. “We can tell that our students open up more and get excited about their futures,” she said. “Our students feel like they can go to college, especially after we tour APU. They get excited about the possibilities that education opens for them, so Cougar Pals has always made a positive impact on our community.”