Page 24 - 2024 January report

TORONTO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY REPORT (3)
Celebrating your Impact
Peer Support and Mentoring
In fall 2022 students returned to campus after two years of learning remotely or in a hybrid way. Many students had traveled back home during the pandemic. Securing housing and employment in 2022 and 2023 has been a challenge with the rapidly rising living costs due to inflation and a shortage of rentals.
This summer, the Peer Support program had a team-building activity to ready them for the academic year ahead. Peer support has been instrumental for first-year students these past two years. Indigenous Student Services has four peer supporters who hold part-time paid positions that assist with their annual expenses.
Career Development
With the support of funds from the JSF grant, ISS was able to hire a part-time Career Lead for Indigenous students. Career development sessions and support was offered to JSF Scholars and other Indigenous students.
This year, we have created a full-time position for an Indigenous Career Lead to provide 1:1 and group career sessions for Indigenous students. The JSF Scholars will all participate and receive career counselling from our new team member.
The full-time position is being made possible through our partnership with the Career, Co-op and Student Success team and funding from their budget.
Jacques Lapoint, a JSF scholar who goes by the name Zigwan, is in his third term as a peer supporter. All JSF scholars participate in the Peer Support program, either as mentees or as mentors.
Additionally, the JSF scholars are encouraged to participate group mentoring for Indigenous students generally.
Photo Credit: Nadya Kwandibens.
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Page 22 January Report