Peer Perspectives: "This one time, in Peer Programs, I…"

… stared blankly at a piece of paper, wondering to myself what the heck am I supposed to blog about for this topic?!

‘This one time’? Why one? Why not two? Or a hundred? Because I do have a hundred experiences that are each as valuable as the next.

Are we talking about the time we first met on a school bus at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Center? The awkwardness and the unease as we said hello and how are you and what’s your name? Gosh, and who can forget the difficulty in trying to remember so many names in such a short amount of time! Daniela, Eric, Jeen, Gilbert, Natasha … thank god for sticker name tags! Oh, and what about that arduous journey up to Whistler? The nauseous experience that winds it up way from my belly to my throat.

Or are we referring to the time when we settled down, got over the initial cold feet and started mingling and, well, really getting to know each other?

Imagine this: This one time, in peer programs, I learned so many names by heart and actually got to have a great conversation with some of them! And the cherry on the icing on the cupcake: we’re all in peer programs!

Well, this sounds great and all, but does it actually have anything to do with peer programs?

Okay, how about this.

This one time in peer programs, we spent two days together collaborating and working on projects that has to do with the Olympics. This one time in peer programs, we met Simon Cowell, IN THE FLESH. It was surreal, yo.

This one time in peer programs, we laid on our backs, on a pier by the sea, next to a spectacular mountain landscape, and stargazed. I tell you, the stars never looked brighter or more beautiful than that night.

The night when I firmly grasped the true essence of what it is to be in peer programs.

Camaraderie. Unity. Amplifying voices. Making change. Now.

This one time in peer programs, I managed to write a 400-word article on a blog topic that initially stupefied me.

PS: I am NOT actually ranting about the topic, I’m just trying to hook in readers by writing it in the guise of a rant. And everyone loves rants. ☺

– Tina Kong, FAACT