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Living on a campus with many clubs, groups, and societies, it is easy  for Grand View students, especially freshmen and transfers, to feel lost in all that is going on. One of these many groups so happens to be dedicated to helping with not only these struggles, but many others as well.

GV Peer Counseling is a student leadership team led by Assistant Director of Leadership and Counseling Kenlyn Gordon.

“Our mission is to emotionally support Grand View students,” Gordon said, “and that they can reach out to us whenever they need support. The second part is to educate on mental health and to really make it a healthy thing to talk about.”

Like other student leadership groups on campus, those who wish to work with peer counseling must be selected through an interview process with the group advisor.

Currently, the team is made up of Kenlyn Gordon and five students that have proven their dedication and heart for others.

“I really look for people who can be relational and that value relationships,” Gordon says. ”This is something that each of the members of GV Peer Counseling displays all around campus.”

Each peer counselor has something unique that they are involved in on campus. Jacob Redman, in addition to being a peer counselor and psychology major, is an active participant on the GV men’s tennis team and on the View Crew. Liz Giesselmann is a psychology and human services major and is on the cheer squad. Taylor Hovey, also a psychology and human services major, is involved with Campus Ministry. Breanne  Schwechel works at the local hospital for her nursing major.  Lastly, Abbi Ellis is a business administration major and plays basketball.

According to Redman, it’s a natural part of their lives to display their hearts for people.

“I was always giving friends advice about relationships,” Redman said. “Or helping tutor, or things like that, so helping people has always been in my nature.”

“Each of them surprise me in their own way, and so I think they all have those qualities,” Gordon said. “I see their compassion, and I see that they want to help people.”

According to the leaders, their job is not always easy. Redman, for one, says he finds it difficult to say what needs to be said.

”One of the obstacles is having to speak with students about topics that are a little bit insensitive, or that can be taken offensively,” Redman said. “An obstacle is definitely making sure we’re adhering to the needs of all the students.”

They each have also gained much from their time working with the group.

“I’m breaking out of my shell, not being shy, being open,” Hovey said. “I used to hate talking in front of people, giving presentations, and now I’m more than comfortable doing it.”

A positive change like the one Hovey says she experienced is something Giesselmann says she wants to see from students, especially freshmen.

“I just had an event with freshmen, and it was like nobody wanted to talk about sexual violence, rape, consent, like it’s an awkward thing,” Giesselmann said. “We need to break the stigma around it, because it is really okay to talk about.”

The counselors all seem to agree that the best way for someone to begin solving a problem is by talking about it.

The GV peer counselors say they want students to feel comfortable knowing that they are always able to arrange a one-on-one meeting.

“I would love for peer counseling to become a part of the culture,” Gordon said. “If a student is having a tough time, it’s just a thing to call a peer counselor.”