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“Being an EPIC Mentor has enhanced my experience for sure. There are some events and organizations I may not have been familiar with if it were not for being an EPIC Mentor,” he admitted.
Gunnison has been home to Conor Dawson his entire life. The town’s strong sense of community, access to outdoor recreation and ranch activities encouraged Conor to stay along with Western Colorado University’s affordability, Bbiology program and ease of transitioning into college during a global pandemic. Although Conor’s initial years of college were not necessarily traditional, he still felt an overwhelming amount of support from the university and made the most out of the limitations of COVID-19. With Conor’s Experienced Peers Initiating Connections (EPIC) Mentormaking a positive impact on his first year of college, he decided to follow in their footsteps upon his second year and beyond.
EPIC Mentors are personal peer-mentors assigned to each first-year and transfer student at Western. They provide academic program information, academic support and connect students with opportunities outside of the classroom. As an EPIC Mentor, Conor has developed a deep connection with Western and a strong sense of independence, a trait he considered lacking prior to attending the university. Conor is now in tune with all the opportunities Western has to offer, whether that be building relationships with faculty or attending Western’s unique on-campus ski and snowboarding competition, Rail Jam.
“Being an EPIC Mentor has enhanced my experience for sure. There are some events and organizations I may not have been familiar with if it were not for being an EPIC Mentor,” he admitted.
Along with his role as an EPIC Mentor, Conor is also a member of the Honors Program, Student Government Association and excels as a student studying Biology with an emphasis in Pre-Medicine. While attending Western, Conor started working at a veterinarian clinic and his dream career came into sight. Passionate about natural sciences and ranch animals, he hopes to take his degree to the next level by attending veterinarian school after graduation.
