Dr. Tolu Taiwo is the Associate Director for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Campus Climate at Clover Park Technical College, where she oversees the new Peer Mentoring Center she helped build from the ground up. As she worked to bring this space to life, Tolu partnered with CARA to build the foundation of the peer mentoring model that now anchors the center’s work.
When Tolu stepped into her role in 2024, the Peer Mentoring Center existed only as an idea. Over the next year, she hired and trained a team of peer mentors and worked with students to shape a space they could call their own. “We started off with just a dream and the framework,” she shared. “Students put their ownership in everything – from how the office is set up to the events they run.” Today, peer mentors support caseloads of 20–25 students each, helping classmates navigate financial aid, food insecurity, and pathways into competitive technical programs.
Tolu says CARA’s curriculum has given peer mentors a strong foundation in college persistence and equity, and the counseling-skills modules have helped them understand boundaries, communication, and how to support students without burning out.
“CARA’s training really contextualizes the importance of their work,” she shared. “It gives them language, confidence, and a sense that they can actually do this.” Many peer mentors, she says, want to go into human-centered careers, and CARA’s tools and coaching help them see how these skills transfer. With continuous training, structured caseload systems, and guidance on proactive outreach, CARA helped Clover Park adapt a holistic peer mentoring model to the fast-paced environment of a technical college.
The Peer Mentoring Center’s grand opening in the fall marked a major milestone for the college. Tolu is focused on sustaining and strengthening the center, and she hopes to continue learning from CARA’s approach even beyond the partnership. “The relationships won’t end,” she said. “We’ve built something real here – and I want this center to remain a place where students feel welcomed, supported, and seen.”