Staley School of Leadership

K-State Strengths Peer Coaches Application

For the Fall 2025 Semester

The mission of K-State Strengths is to be a catalyst for students to develop their unique talents in pursuit of being their best selves.

We envision a community where all students move from Strengths identification to Strengths development as they navigate their K-State experience and beyond.

K-State Strengths Peer Coaches get the opportunity to connect one-on-one with students from across the K-State campus, in person and via Zoom, to support their academic and personal success through the development of their Top 5 CliftonStrengths. Strengths Peer Coaches help students explore and apply their Strengths in their daily life, leverage their Strengths to work through challenges, and set Strengths-based goals to increase engagement and well-being. Strengths Peer coaches develop skills around asking powerful questions, active listening, goal setting, and establishing trusting relationships where students feel safe and respected.

Eligibility

The minimum qualifications for a Strengths Peer Coach are:

  • Work with the program director, graduate assistant and Strengths team to develop and execute efforts to advance strengths development among college students
  • Enroll in the LEAD 502 Strengths Peer Coaching course, Wednesdays from 8:30-9:20 a.m., (offered for 0-3 credits) and attend all scheduled class meetings (appx. 8 per semester)
  • Meet with students six to nine hours per week during individual 45-minute coaching sessions
    Attend semesterly trainings and meet with the Strengths Graduate Assistant for 2-3 one-on-one reflections per semester (4-6 per school year)
  • Promote the Strengths initiative on campus during special events, tabling, and class presentations
  • Maintain a successful student scholarship and leadership record — minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA, in good disciplinary standing, active in student activities, and enrolled as a full-time student (at least 6 credit hours)
  • Comfortable meeting one-on-one with students face to face and virtually and ability to coach based on needs of student
  • Exhibit responsibility, attention to detail, a positive attitude, confidence, flexibility, team orientation, a high energy level, and strong verbal and written communication skills.
  • Demonstrate a desire to learn about CliftonStrengths and coaching strategies

Time commitment

Strengths Peer Coaches work an average of 6-9 hours per week, which may include:

Hosting 45-minute one-on-one coaching sessions in-person or via zoom (scheduled based on the coach’s academic schedule), writing follow up emails, advocating for strengths in classes and during University events, and participating in bi-weekly coaching classes where they collaborate with fellow peer coaches for professional development.

Strengths Peer Coaches participate in approximately 6-9 hours of training and observation before beginning to coach independently. Occasional evening work hours are required.

The distribution of hours is as follows:

  • 6-9 hours of coaching per week
  • 2-4 hours of coaching professional development per month
  • 1-3 hours of Strengths advocacy per academic year

Paid or unpaid?

Strengths Peer Coaches are compensated at a rate of $12.00 per hour.

Other benefits

Strengths Peer Coaches get the opportunity to engage with a community of 10-15 peers who share a passion for Strengths development, asset-based thinking, and coaching peers towards goal attainment. This team of coaches meets with coaching professionals in small groups for personalized professional development workshops to hone their coaching stance and strategies.

They also get the unique opportunity to connect with students from around the globe during coaching sessions where they learn about people from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Strengths Peer Coaches serve as role models for peers as they leverage their own Top 5 Strengths to increase the engagement and well-being of fellow students.

Who would particularly benefit from this program?

The K-State Strengths is a campus wide initiative, serving students from every academic college, K-State Salina, and the K-State global campus, so students from diverse majors and backgrounds are encouraged to apply to serve as a Strengths Peer Coach. We aim to have representation from every academic college to increase the diversity of perspectives and experiences for students who attend coaching sessions.

Students with an interest in building genuine relationships and connections with students from diverse backgrounds may be particularly interested in pursuing this opportunity. Students with an interest in counseling, education, and business management/administration have expressed added value because of the opportunity to learn strategies for coaching individuals to thrive in their personal lives, academics, and careers.

Timeline

Application deadline: Wednesday, Feb. 12.

  • Interview offers: Sent via email no later than Friday, Feb. 14.
  • Interviews: 3-5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24 and Tuesday, Feb. 25.
  • Offers to be in the program: Sent via email Friday, March 7.
  • Applicant deadline to accept offers: Sent via email by Wednesday, March 12.

Training and Event Dates

Spring Trainings

  • Friday, April 4: K-State Strengths for Students Conference - 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. (mandatory)
  • 8:30-9:20 a.m. Wednesday, April 9 (mandatory)
  • 8:30-9:20 a.m. Wednesday, April 16 (mandatory)
  • 8:30-9:20 a.m. Wednesday, April 23 (mandatory)
  • 8:30-9:20 a.m. Wednesday, April 30 (mandatory)
  • Wednesday, May 7 – End of Year Celebration; time and place TBD (optional)
  • Spring Peer Coach Observations (approximately 3 hours based scheduled peer coaching sessions) (Mandatory)
  • Make-up sessions for Spring training by appointment (as needed)

Fall Retreat
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15 (mandatory)

Fall Coach Class
LEAD 502: 8:30-9:20 a.m. Wednesdays in the Leadership Studies building (will meet approximately two times per month)

Apply

The following electronic application has four sections:

  • General Information
  • Short Response Questions (responses should be limited to 1200 characters; appx. 175 words)
  • Resume Upload and Reference
  • Personal Availability

This application form must be completed in one sitting, your responses will not be saved if you exit the form. We recommend typing your responses to each question in a separate document then copying and pasting your responses into this form when you are ready to submit your application. After submitting your application, you will receive an email from strengths@ksu.edu confirming your application was received.

Please email strengths@ksu.edu with any questions.

Free Response Questions
The following questions are on the application at the link below. Each response is limited to 1,200 characters; appx. 175 words.

We recommend typing your responses to each question in a separate document then copying and pasting your responses into the application form when you are ready to submit your application.

  • Describe how applying your strengths has led to your academic or personal success.
  • Based on your experience, what qualities make a strong coach and how would you apply those in a coaching session?
  • What skills and/or knowledge from previous volunteer or work experiences will benefit you as a K-State Strengths Peer Coach?
  • What excites you most about the opportunity to become a K-State Strengths Peer Coach?
Begin Application