Natalie Meredith and Matthew Nolan provide a quick overview of the 2026 FYE Peer Leader position.
[Natalie Meredith (NM)] Hi there! Thanks for tuning in.
[Matthew Nolan (MN)] We are excited to share everything you need to know about becoming a Peer Leader with First Year Experience for summer 2026.
[NM] Whether you're just curious or ready to apply, this video is going to give you an overview of the role, the benefits, and what to expect throughout your first year. We're going to start off by introducing ourselves. My name is Natalie Meredith.
[MN] And I'm Matthew Nolan, and we're your FYE Program Coordinators. Natalie and I will be your points of contact and main supports throughout your Peer Leader journey.
Now, you might be asking, what exactly is a Peer Leader? Peer Leaders are experienced Ohio State students who support incoming Buckeyes during summer orientation. Now you'll get to create a welcoming environment for orientation students and guests. Share your experiences and build connections that make a real difference in a student's transition to college.
[NM] Over the summer, Peer Leaders will work a variety of shifts throughout the day, some starting as early as 7:30 a.m. and going as late as 10:00 p.m., but don't worry, you'll have plenty of breaks throughout the day. Those shifts are going to be scheduled for you, and they vary in length, so truly the key to success is teamwork and flexibility. Those shifts might include things such as facilitating group discussions and activities to help build connections, it also could include providing support to first year students and their guests, as well as presenting presentations to them to get that information across. Lastly, it could be following up with our first-year students via email so that they feel prepared and ready to go this autumn.
[MN] Now, if everything you're heard so far sounds great and interesting, we are excited that you are interested in submitting your application to be a Peer Leader.
But before you apply and hit submit, there's some information that we want you to know that may impact whether or not you apply for the position. First, all Peer Leaders are required to register for and pass ESHESA 5194, a one credit hour leadership seminar in Spring 2026. Now, this class meets on Tuesday nights from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and you'll be required to register for it once you're offered the position. In the meantime, we want you to take a look at your schedule for Spring 2026 and make sure that you have that time available and the credit hours available to enroll if offered the position. Secondly, because Peer Leaders work close to full time over the summer, you can't take summer classes at Ohio State. Now, if you have to take summer classes for your degree plan, we want to encourage you to apply next year so that you can stay on track academically. And finally, to make sure that all of our Peer Leaders are fully trained and orientation is staffed over the summer, there are limits to when you can take time off and how much you can take over the summer. Now on our website, go.osu.edu/fyepeerleader we have more details about what our vacation policy is listed in the Frequently Asked Questions section.
[NM] Want more information? We encourage you to attend one of our Interview Success Sessions hosted by our Team Leaders. Now, our Team Leaders Lily, Jay, Gwyn and Sariyah are all returning Peer Leaders who were with our team last year and are coming back to mentor our new Peer Leaders. During the Interview Success sessions, they will help get you prepared to be successful in both the application and interview process. You can find the times listed for those Interview Success sessions on our website at go.osu.edu/fyepeerleader. Also on the website, like Matthew was saying, are a bunch of tips and tricks and our FAQ section, so we encourage you to look that over before submitting your application. Here's a quick look at the position timeline. [Hiring and Position Timeline chart is shown and is available on our "Apply to be an FYE Peer Leader" page under the 2026 hiring and position timeline accordion.] Pause the video so you can take a photo and mark your calendars now for any upcoming interviews and training dates.
Now that you're watched this video, here are some next steps for you to complete to be successful in that application. First, attending one of those Interview Success sessions. The next thing is getting that application in. Our application closes January 25th, which is a Sunday at 11:59 p.m. and you can find that application at go.osu.edu/Plapp. Lastly, if you do have any questions about any of the requirements or anything throughout this process, don't hesitate to reach out to us at askfye@osu.edu.
[MN] Thank you so much for watching this video today.
[NM] We hope to see you as a part of our Peer Leader team this summer. And as always, [speaking together] go Bucks!