Alumni Mentorship Program

 

Alumni Mentorship

NEW: UTM Black Alumni Mentorship Program Pilot 2024

UTM Black Mentorship Program

The Centre for Student Engagement is excited to introduce the UTM Black Alumni Mentorship Program in 2024. This new pilot program will provide upper-year, self-identified Black students an opportunity to engage in meaningful mentoring relationships and build a supportive network. The self-identified Black alumni who have joined this program as mentors come from diverse academic and career backgrounds and are eager to share their experiences with students. This one-on-one mentorship experience will support the next generation of Black leaders by increasing access to career role models and resources and help develop the Black student and alumni community network at UTM. 

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The UTM Black Alumni Mentorship Program was created in response to the recommendations in U of T’s Anti-Black Racism Task Force Report. The report highlighted the need for career role models and potential mentors to assist Black students with growing their network. 

The program is a collaboration with the Centre for Student Engagement, UTM Alumni Relations, UTMSU and the UTM Career Centre. 


Alumni Mentorship Program

In collaboration with the Office of Advancement, the Career Centre and the Centre for Student Engagement, the Alumni Mentorship Program (AMP) facilitates meaningful mentoring relationships between motivated upper-year UTM students with supportive alumni who are working in diverse fields and industries and are willing to share their academic and career experiences with a student mentee who is preparing for their path.

The Alumni Mentorship Program offers a dynamic two-way relationship that allows for transferring critical skills, knowledge and expertise from the mentor to the mentee.  

Statistics show that students who have benefited from a successful mentor match achieve a higher career progression rate. The Alumni Mentorship Program is an opportunity to develop a one-to-one mentoring relationship with UTM Alumni who can:

  • Provide a window into the realities of the professional world
  • Share experiences and provide career guidance
  • Encourage and empower your personal development
  • Help to identify and achieve career goals
  • Increase your confidence
  • Explore a broader perspective on career options and opportunities

The program is open to undergraduates and is delivered in person. Matches meet at the program’s kick-off event in the fall semester. From October through to December 2023, mentees meet with their mentor at least 3 times, submit monthly reflections outlining progress towards personal goals, and attend social and networking events.

Check the Mentors 


Comments from some of our past mentees

This experience is approved on the Co-Curricular Record!

  • “Before my first meeting with Alice, I imagined the program was supposed to be formal and professional, like in MIB movies, where I was Will Smith and my mentor was Tommy Lee Jones. However, during the meeting, Alice was friendly and enthusiastic; there was no pressure at all; the meeting was like a chat between friends who had known each other for a long time.”

  • “AMP allowed me to discover a whole new potential career path through discussion of my real interests and realistic goals”​

  • “Not only have I learned a lot about counselling and psychotherapy, but I have also learned how better to conduct informational interviews and other important networking skills. I feel a lot more prepared to step into the field and confident about my career choices.” 

  • “My time in AMP has helped me better understand what is expected of newly graduated students in the industry. Confidence, determination, and a will to learn are all paramount assets that need to be utilized if you are to be successful post-graduation. My mentor had helped me better understand why these skills are so important to graduates.”​


Expectations

To become a mentee for the program, we have a few expectations that you will need to commit to.

  1. Attend the mentorship orientation and launch event (October 4th 5:30-8:30pm). This session will prepare you to meet your mentor and get the most out of your mentorship experience.
  2. Meet with your mentor at least 3 times between October and December, either in person or virtually.
  3. Submit a monthly reflection outlining your progress towards personal goals. This reflection should take no more than 30 minutes to complete. 
  4. Students are eligible for this program if they currently have a CGPA of 2.0 or higher and are currently in the third or fourth year of their undergraduate degree;

*If you are unable to attend the mentorship orientation and launch event due to a class conflict, please contact cameron.walker@utoronto.ca with an explanation.

Note: The Alumni Mentorship Program is not a job placement service and students agree not to solicit employment from alumni mentors. Soliciting mentors for employment may result in removal from the program.


Inquiries

For inquiries and questions regarding the Alumni Mentorship Program, please contact:

Cameron Walker 

Supervisor, Community Mentorship

Email: cameron.walker@utoronto.ca


Partners and Sponsors

This mentoring experience is in partnership with the Centre for Student EngagementUTM Alumni Relations, and the UTM Career Centre.

The UTM Alumni Mentorship Program is proudly sponsored by the University of Toronto's Affinity Partners, Manulife and TD Insurance:

Manulife

 

TD Insurance

Discover the benefits of affinity products: affinity.utoronto.ca