Disability Resource Center

Peer Mentor Program

Purdue University | Disability Resource Center

Find your people.
Build your Purdue experience.

College comes with new experiences, questions, and opportunities. You do not have to figure it all out on your own. The DRC Peer Mentor Program connects students with peers who can share experiences, offer encouragement, and help make Purdue feel more like home.

Find your place in PMP

Connection, support, and room to grow

The DRC Peer Mentor Program (PMP) pairs incoming and current students registered with the Disability Resource Center. Through individual connections and shared activities, participants build relationships, practice self-advocacy, and learn more about navigating life at Purdue.

Throughout the academic year, PMP hosts monthly socials, workshops, and disability awareness activities in West Lafayette. Mentors and mentees also meet regularly to check in, share experiences, and work toward individual goals.

What does participation look like?
Regular meetings with your mentor or mentee, at least three socials or workshops each semester, and opportunities to connect with a community of DRC students.

More than someone to meet with

For mentees

Connect with a peer as you find your footing and build your own Purdue experience.

  • Build friendships and a sense of belonging.
  • Strengthen communication and self-advocacy skills.
  • Explore academic and personal resources on campus.
  • Better understand how your disability intersects with college life.

For mentors and senior mentors

Share what you have learned while continuing to grow as a student and leader.

  • Support other students through your lived experience.
  • Develop leadership and relationship-building skills.
  • Participate in professional development.
  • Practice skills you can carry into your career and community.

Find your place in the program

Whether you are looking for a mentor or ready to support someone else, there is a role for you.

Connect with a peer

Become a mentee

Get to know a fellow DRC student who can share insights, help you explore campus resources, and offer encouragement throughout the year.

Mentee requirements

  • Be registered with the DRC.
  • Attend an initial mentee meeting in August.
  • Attend at least three PMP socials and/or workshops each semester.
  • Meet with your mentor every two weeks.
2026–2027 Mentee Application

Share your experience

Become a mentor

Help another student navigate Purdue while building meaningful connections and developing your leadership skills.

Mentor requirements

  • Be registered with the DRC.
  • Be a sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student.
  • Participate in an interview.
  • Attend mentor training in August.
  • Attend at least three PMP socials and/or workshops each semester.
  • Meet with your mentee weekly or every two weeks.
2026–2027 Mentor Application

Build on your leadership

Become a senior mentor

Bring your previous PMP mentor experience to a role supporting other mentors and contributing to the program community.

Senior mentor requirements

  • Be registered with the DRC.
  • Have previously served as a PMP mentor.
  • Be a junior, senior, or graduate student.
  • Participate in an interview.
  • Attend senior mentor training in August.
  • Attend at least three PMP socials and/or workshops each semester.
  • Meet with the mentors you support monthly.
  • Attend monthly senior mentor meetings.

Two applications are required: Senior mentor applicants must submit both the Mentor Application above and the Senior Mentor Application below.

2026–2027 Senior Mentor Application

Make connections. Try something new.

PMP brings students together through a mix of social activities, campus experiences, and practical workshops. Activities vary throughout the year and may include:

Time to connect

  • Mentor and mentee hangouts
  • Game nights and bowling
  • Ice cream socials
  • Corn maze outings
  • Photo scavenger hunts
  • Campus events and activities

Space to learn

  • Academic success skills
  • Career and employment opportunities
  • Disability awareness
  • Self-care
  • Panel discussions
  • Current events and special topics

Explore upcoming events

Three students smile at the camera while sitting around a puzzle at a PMP game night.
Games, conversation, and time together at a PMP game night.
Six students gather at Exploration Acres during a PMP fall outing.
Exploring beyond campus during a PMP fall outing.

How are matches made?

Your application helps us learn about your academic background and personal experiences. DRC Access Consultants use this information to identify a mentor and mentee pairing that is a good fit for both students.

Matching considerations include:

  • Disability or condition type
  • Academic college or major
  • Gender

Students are notified of their matches early in the fall semester or as mentees express interest in participating.

Questions about PMP?

Want to learn more, talk through which role might fit, or ask about participating after the academic year has begun? Contact the Peer Mentor Program at drcpeermentor@purdue.edu.

You can also contact us to discuss disability-related access needs for PMP meetings, activities, or events.

Contact Us

Phone: (765) 494-1247 
Email: drc@purdue.edu 

YONG Room 105 
155 S. Grant St. 
West Lafayette, IN 47907

Purdue Student Center, 2nd Floor
520 Indiana Avenue 
Indianapolis, IN 46202