Do you have an undergraduate student who exemplifies what it means to be a peer educator?

Nominate them for the Outstanding Peer Educator Award!

History of the Award

The IPTPC Outstanding Mentor Award was established by CRLA's International Peer Educator Training Program Certification (IPTPC) committee. The award is given annually to an undergraduate student peer educator from any one of our certified peer educator (formerly mentor) training programs. It honors individuals who contribute much to the success of their peers and motivate and inspire others through their dedication and passion for their work.

Who are we looking for?

We’re looking for the best of the best! Applicants must:

• Be a current undergraduate student at the time of nomination with at least 3.0 GPA
• Currently serve as a peer educator in a CRLA IPTPC (formerly IMTPC)-certified program
• Have earned recognition at level 1, 2, or 3 through a CRLA-certified peer educator training program
• Have a strong history of development and success as a peer educator

NOTE: Programs may only submit one nominee for consideration.

What does the Outstanding Peer Educator receive?

• A plaque and $250 honorarium
• Invitation to CRLA Annual Conference
• Recognition at the CRLA Annual Conference, including the opportunity for brief remarks at the Awards Brunch
• Publicized biography on the CRLA website and in CRLA Annual Conference materials
• Reimbursement of up to $250 of travel expenses to attend CRLA Annual Conference, at winner’s request (not transferable)

How do you nominate a peer educator for this award?

Application Process: To be considered for this award, applications should include:

• Application form completed by the peer educator's supervisor
• Letter of support from a faculty member
• A copy of the nominee’s unofficial transcript to verify GPA
• A copy of the nominee’s highest-level IMTPC or IPTPC certificate of completion
• A copy of the peer educator's most recent peer educator evaluation (dated within a year of nomination)
• Nominee’s essay (see below for the prompt and requirements)

Student Essay

In addition, the nominee should write an original essay of 500-750 words addressing the following topic:

“Ways of engaging peers: The impact of peer support on student success”

This original essay must be double-spaced in Arial or Times New Roman, with the peer educator's full name and nominating university or college name in the header. References, if used, do not count toward the word limit, but should be cited using either MLA or APA guides. Essays should address the prompt specifically while also showing insight into the mentoring process as a whole.

To submit documentation:

Please upload each document as a separate file in the application itself, named with the peer educator’s name. Example:

• Smith, Josie- Letter
• Smith, Josie- Transcript
• Smith, Josie- Certificate
• Smith, Josie- Evaluation
• Smith, Josie- Essay

NOTE: To upload files to the application, you will need to sign into a Google account. If you do not already have a Google account, you can make a Google account for free, using your current email address at this link: Sign Up

All applications, including attachments, must be received no later than 11:59 PM on June 30, 2025. Partial or incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants will be notified by email of receipt of their application packets. Application materials will not be returned.

Once an award recipient has been chosen, all nominees will be notified via email.

Questions?

Previous Award Recipients

2024 Outstanding Peer Educator Award Recipient: Lizzett Solis

Lizzett Solis is undergraduate senior at New Mexico State University (NMSU). She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Biology.

2023 Outstanding Peer Educator Award Recipient: June Lin

June Lin is a dual-degree undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Molecular Bioscience at Duke University in North Carolina and Duke Kunshan University in Jiangsu, China. June served as a CRLA Level 1 Certified Peer Mentor where she held PreMed specific events, and initiated a comprehensive study guide for introductory courses.

2022 Outstanding Peer Educator Award Recipient: Nicole Koulov

Nicole Koulov recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from The University of Texas at Dallas. Before graduation, Nicole worked in her university’s Peer-Led Team Learning program for two years and served as a CRLA Level 2 certified Team Leader her senior year. Currently, Nicole plans to pursue higher education and attend medical school to become a physician. In her free time, Nicole enjoys painting and hiking.

2021 Outstanding Peer Educator Award Recipient: Victoria Elizabeth Hinson

Victoria Elizabeth Hinson is a senior at New Mexico State University. She is starting her fourth year as a TRIO Student Support Services Peer Mentor and, during her time with TRIO, received CRLA Level 3 Master Mentor Certification.