Soul Sisters: PEAK Mentor Uses Commonalities to Build Confidence

Katie Petersen describes her flourishing relationship with PEAK scholar Kailyn Adames as easy and natural, in part because both share a love for health and wellness. Like many PEAK mentors, Katie does a great job finding commonalities with her scholar, and using them to foster self-esteem and growth. But it was Kailyn, motivated by a recent episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, who chose a spin class at SoulCycle as their activity together over the holiday break.

"We usually meet up to grab a bite to eat and spend the time talking for hours," said Katie. "So I was excited when Kailyn mentioned wanting to try this out!"

Kailyn recalls feeling very "nervous" before the class. She was worried about her ability to keep up with everyone else. Katie, who is a fitness instructor by trade, encouraged her to "focus on herself and not allow the opinions of others to affect her self worth."

"I am so impressed with Kailyn," Katie said, reflecting on her scholar's academic achievements.