A Peer Assistant is a link between student and faculty, serving as a listening ear for what’s going on at campus. They promote awareness to issues regarding healthy lifestyles. One woman who embodies all the qualities one should find in a Peer Assistant is Anna Batz.

Anna is a junior Psychology major with a minor in Music. Aside from working two years as a Peer Assistant, she is also involved with Choir, Gustie Buddies, and the Admissions Office, all of which put her passion for psychology and music to good use.

“I wanted to be a Peer Assistant because I love helping people and making relationships and connections with people in the Gustavus community,” Anna said. “A reason I’m into psychology is that I want to promote mental health and well-being and reduce the stigma against mental illness. I think it’s super important to a college student to maintain your mental health because it will affect other areas of health in a trickledown effect.”

Both music and Gustavus have made a large impact on Anna before she set foot on campus. She hails from a Gustie family that has had multiple members attend. It’s a family tradition shared with her siblings, parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, a number of which have sung in the Gustavus Choir.

“She is an enthusiastic Gustie from a great Gustie family and embodies all the good qualities of Gustavus.” — Amy Pehrson

“Music has always been a huge part of my life,” Anna said. “It’s part of my family and traditions. I really like the music program and how you don’t need a major to participate in band or choir.”

A major reason why she chose to attend Gustavus is because of the friendly atmosphere.

“Gustavus is awesome because of the community that it has and the relationships that you get to form with people,” Anna said.  “Everybody loves each other in the Gustie family. My favorite Gustavus memory is going to Peru and meeting the people I went to Peru with for J-Term. That experience was really awesome. Living in the dorms and meeting new friends, joining the PAs, nearly everything has been awesome!”

Amy Pehrson, the Director for Mentoring and Peer Education in the Peer Education Office, sees some of the positive qualities of her Gustie family within her.

“Anna is very authentic and a warm, approachable person,” Pehrson said. “She is an enthusiastic Gustie from a great Gustie family and embodies all the good qualities of Gustavus. She is a good friend, student, and an exemplary includer among the PAs. She wants all voices to be heard and respects those voices as well. She’s funny like her two older siblings.”

Someone who shares a similar opinion on Anna’s personality with Mrs. Pehrson is 2016 Gustavus alumni Bryden Giving, who previously worked with Anna as a Peer Assistant during his time here.

“Anna is just as warm-hearted as she is spunky and hilarious,” Giving said. “I have never met someone who both is able to be such an empathetic listener and make someone snort with laughter. Anna truly is a hidden gem of our Gustavus community and will continue to surpass everyone’s expectations of what it means to be gracious and an intellectual.”

Listening is an important part of a Peer Assistant’s job, an aspect that Anna excels in according to Pehrson.

“She is such a good listener,” Pehrson said. “When we have events, small group discussions, or one on one conversations, Anna is the type of person that will listen deeply and genuinely to the person that she’s with.”

Anna’s already put her experience to good use outside of Gustavus. Last summer she served as an inclusion facilitator for Parks and Rec in Bloomington, which she hopes will prepare her well for the future.

“I was working one on one with kids with disabilities ranging from tough, physical disabilities to behavioral disorders,” Anna said. “I hung out with them at the parks and kept them happy during the day. It was pretty fun! My main goal right now is to be a child life specialist in a children’s hospital. While I want to work in Minneapolis, I’d like to travel around and help kids in different hospitals and settings around the world.”

If you want to get to know Anna more or need a friendly face to talk to, Anna will be in the Peer Assistant’s Office on Tuesdays from 7-9 P.M.