A Supplemental Instructor (SI) is a peer leader who has taken a course, passed said course, and hosts weekly group study sessions for current students to aid in their understanding of the course. The courses that feature SI Sessions are classes that have been historically difficult, meaning they often have higher withdrawal or failure rates than other courses. The course I taught was Introduction to International Relations (POL1080). This class is one that many students struggle with due to the content's concentration and the course's fast pace. In this position, I hosted weekly sessions for students, met with my faculty member, Professor Ivanov, attended team meetings with other Learning Commons staff, and prepared resources for students to use. The experience spanned the entire class, allowing me to host 11 SI sessions. My sessions saw strong attendance, with my largest session hosting over 40 students.

       This role was one of the most challenging yet enjoyable experiences I have had at UC and through the University Honors Program thus far. While it required considerable time and effort, I was able to see the direct impact my teaching had on the students who attended my sessions. I was able to help them with their individual issues while also preparing all students for the course exams. However, the most valuable lesson this role taught me is that success is not the direct product of an end result. Instead, success comes in many different forms throughout an experience. My success was not measured by each student's final grade or whether they passed the final exam, but rather by the skills they learned, the connections they made, and the habits they built. Watching them progress throughout the semester showed me that the success of my work would not be measured by an end result, but by the small steps they took throughout the course to aid their learning and excel both inside and outside the classroom. This made me realize something else about being a Global Citizen Scholar — it is not always about the destination but rather about the journey and the progress made along the way.