Communication studies major builds on his I.S. as he supports student success

Peter Jeffy ’14 has been helping undergraduate students succeed since he was one himself. As a student mentor with The College of Wooster’s Academic Registration and Creative Horizons (ARCH) program, Jeffy welcomed first-year students and helped them register for classes. As a member of the Black Students Association and the African Student Union, he helped build community among and advocate for Black and African students. As housing coordinator for the Men of Harambee, he helped revive the dormant fraternal organization designed to support Black and underrepresented male students on campus.

Jeffy’s involvement with the Men of Harambee inspired his Independent Study, which focused on helping Black male students identify and build their strengths to enhance their success. As the project director of the McNair Scholars Program at Kent State University, Jeffy is building on his I.S. research and continuing to support student success. The program prepares first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students for doctoral study.

“My I.S. has been the driving force of my career,” said Jeffy, who also serves on Wooster’s Alumni Board. “Every step of the way, it has prepared me for the work I’m doing now in a very intentional way.”

Jeffy’s I.S. journey began during a summer internship with the University of Arkansas Division of Student Affairs following his junior year. Jeffy worked in the Office of Strengths-Based Initiatives, where he discovered the Clifton StrengthsFinder (now known as CliftonStrengths), an assessment that helps individuals identify their innate talents. He was intrigued by the focus on the positive rather than the negative.

“I had looked at a lot of research around Black males and education, and much of it took a deficit model approach,” Jeffy said. “These studies focused on how Black males are not graduating at the same rate, or they’re not as prepared for college. There was so much information about how they’re not doing well or why they’re not doing well and not enough about what allowed these students to be successful.”

Returning to Wooster after the internship, Jeffy noticed that some of the Men of Harambee members were struggling with their grades, their confidence, or both. He wondered if introducing them to the CliftonStrengths could help them internalize and integrate their strengths into their daily lives and, in turn, strengthen the group as a whole. Jeffy took an anti-deficit approach as he worked closely with his advisor, Ahmet Atay, professor of communication studies, to develop an I.S. that explored how Black male students can apply their natural talents toward individual and organizational success, titled “Strengthening the Bonds Between Brothers: Implementing Clifton StrengthsFinders to the Men of Harambee.”

Jeffy led his fellow members through a series of workshops using the CliftonStrengths assessment. He also met with each member one-on-one to discuss how they could leverage their strengths to meet their goals. He found that the workshops fostered effective organization communication and that members were engaged throughout the process, although the short duration of the study prevented him from analyzing any long-term effects.

“My I.S. means a lot to me. I felt like it was something that I was well suited to do, and it was a project that would prepare me well for the next step,” Jeffy said. “I worked hard on it. I don’t personally like Tootsie Rolls, but I grabbed mine with pride when I turned it in.”

That next step turned out to be graduate school. Jeffy originally applied to the master’s program in higher education administration and student affairs at Kent State University, but because of his I.S., his plans changed.

“I remember getting a call from someone at the institution who said, ‘I saw your undergraduate research, and I know you’re applying for this other program, but I think the cultural foundations program would suit you very well,’” Jeffy said. “This individual knew one of my mentors and saw my research and thought I would do really well in this philosophy-based education program. My I.S. directly led to that opportunity.”

Jeffy advises a student as they create a post-graduation parallel plan that includes both applying to graduate school and entering the workforce.

Jeffy earned his master’s degree in cultural foundations of education at Kent State and is working toward his doctorate. He began working with the university’s McNair Scholars Program as a graduate student and has served as project director since 2021. The curriculum-based program centers students’ lived experiences as they engage in transformative research opportunities and navigate the graduate school application process.

“In many ways, my work is an offshoot of my I.S.,” Jeffy said. “I allowed people to bring their voice into who they were as a student or student leader. Now I allow my scholars to bring their voice into their research and their graduate school applications. We encourage our students to let their identity come first and foremost and not be a barrier to anything.”

Jeffy is grateful for his time at Wooster, where he lettered in football all four years and was part of the Wooster Dance Company. “I hold the school in high regard. It led to my dream job, and now I get to dream of new dreams for what I want for myself and my career,” he said. “The fact that I sit on the Alumni Board is truly an honor, and I’m excited to continue to serve Wooster proudly.”

This feature originally appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of Wooster magazine.

Posted in Alumni, Magazine on May 24, 2024.