Delaney Schiefen - Senior
Senior Honors Guide for Peer Success
UConn Honors Program
How did you find your position What was the process like from application to the offer stage? Please detail your experience.
I found this position through word of mouth: at the time, the professor of my first-year Honors seminar was supervisor of the Honors Guide for Peer Success (GPS) Team. He told me that he thought I would be a great fit for the team and encouraged me to apply. There was a written portion of the application that was submitted alongside a resume, transcript, and contact information for references. After that, I was invited to an interview with the other supervisor and senior members of the team. Later that week, I was thrilled to receive my offer letter to be an Honors GPS! I enjoyed my first year on the team so much that at the end of the year, I applied to be a Senior GPS, one of two team members who served as intermediaries between the team and our supervisor. I had to fill out an additional application and take part in another interview with my supervisor and the current Senior GPSes. Since then, I have enjoyed serving as a Senior GPS for the past two years.
What made you apply for your position?
I applied for this position because I felt I had a thorough understanding of the UConn Honors Program requirements and wanted to help other Honors students navigate these requirements. Also, this role encompasses a wide array of responsibilities from one-on-one meetings to broader Honors-wide initiatives, so I was interested at the variety and intellectual challenge that the job presented. As an education major, I knew that the organizational and interpersonal aspects of this role would help prepare me for my career.
How have you been able to balance your schoolwork and work responsibilities? Please provide details of any challenges or hurdles you have encountered.
The fixed, weekly hours of this position help me maintain consistency in my schedule. The role allows the opportunity to pick up extra hours for evening presentations, but this is flexible, and I can cater my schedule around my pre-existing commitments. The professional staff members we work with emphasize that we are student workers, and that “student” comes first for a reason. This culture provides a relaxed, yet productive, work environment that has helped me grow as a student, worker, and leader.
What are your personal keys to success and what aspects of your job do you find the most fulfilling or enjoyable?
My personal keys to success are organized planning and communication. I regularly use a written planner and Google Calendar so I can view a full week of commitments and responsibilities at once. By staying organized in this way, I can identify the best times for me to get work done, grab dinner with a friend, or visit the Rec Center. Additionally, communication is key when taking on new responsibilities at my job. If I feel I have the bandwidth to spearhead a new initiative, then I will jump right in. However, if I am occupied by other work-related responsibilities and do not have enough time in my shifts to take on something else, there are never any negative feelings surrounding this honest self-awareness and communication. Similarly, communication is of the utmost importance when working with a subset of the team on a specific project. Since I don’t get to see every team member during weekly shifts, working on a project across shifts can be difficult. However, regular communication via Microsoft Teams helps keep these projects in motion. My favorite part of working on the Honors GPS Team is getting to see the wide variety of projects that Honors students passionately pursue. My major-related classes are with the same group of small people, so working as an Honors GPS has shown me the many other interests of Honors students and the incredible things that my peers accomplish!
Describe your typical day at work?
A typical shift includes scoring UHL Co-Curricular Submissions (Events, Academics in Action, and Leadership) on HuskyCT. I also monitor the Honors GPS inbox to reply to emails and am active on Microsoft Teams to communicate with my colleagues and Honors professional staff members. If I am currently involved in a specific initiative, I dedicate time to working on that as well. My shifts occur in the Buckley Honors Office, so I get to interact with students who drop in to ask questions. We also value high morale and team bonding in the office, so when my workload isn’t too heavy, I’ll chip in to seasonally decorate the office, add to the team playlist, and contribute to the silly polls we keep on a whiteboard!
What skills have you acquired or developed in your on-campus job that can contribute to your career readiness or professional development?
Balancing multiple responsibilities in this job has prepared me for my teaching career as I will need to balance lesson planning, grading, grant applications, and more. Many of these aspects directly correlate to responsibilities I have held in the Honors GPS position. Additionally, this position has helped me grow more comfortable thinking on my feet when students drop in with questions. This confidence has already benefitted me in my career as I began student teaching in a high school choir this semester!
