Karina Stellato is a St. Mike’s alumna who attained an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto in 2019, a Master of Arts degree from the University of Toronto in 2020, and a Bachelor of Education at York University in 2022. Karina joined the Office of the Dean at the University of St. Michael’s College in June 2022 and serves students in the role of Campus Life Coordinator.
This piece was written in collaboration with Katherine Pullella, a St. Mike’s alumni member who attained an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto in 2018. Katherine is a senior Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and Women’s College Hospital and serves as the Chair of the Young Alumni Committee (YAC) for St. Michael’s.
As alumni members who serve the St. Mike’s community, Katie and I are thrilled to share the story of how we developed an alumni mentorship program at St. Mike’s that will be rolled out in the Fall. AMPlify St. Mike’s aims to provide much-needed support to upper-year students and recent graduates making the challenging transition from academic spaces into the workforce. Our shared experiences as former students at St. Mike’s helped us recognize the need for such a program and we are excited to witness its positive impact on current and future generations of students.
Why is St. Mike’s developing this program? Leaving the academic environment and venturing into the professional world can be an overwhelming experience. We vividly remember the mixture of excitement and trepidation during our final year at St. Mike’s as we started to think about the next steps and our early careers. It was during this time that we wished for support in connecting with industry professionals who could provide us guidance as we embarked on our professional journeys.
Inspired by our shared vision, Katie and I collaborated with Cassandra, Rebecca, and Emma from the Offices of Advancement and Campus Life to develop a mentorship program that would bridge the gap between undergraduate education and the professional world. By leveraging the expansive network of successful SMC alumni, we believe we can provide invaluable guidance, insights, and connections for current students and recent graduates seeking direction in their career paths.
We hope to bring this vast network of professionals and successful alumni directly to student mentees. This is why instead of a traditional 1:1 mentorship pairing, we are building a directory of mentors who are interested in facilitating micro-connections. Think of it like coffee chats: short informal meetings that can be built upon to meet the needs of the student–mentor pairing. One of the best things about this style is the ability to engage alumni mentors across the world. These connections can take place over Zoom, or by the method of contact most preferable. Mentors and mentees will also have opportunities to connect on networking nights.
Now that we have developed the framework for the program, our next step is to gather a dedicated team of young alumni mentors who are passionate about giving back to the St. Mike’s community. As a mentor, you will be reconnecting with the St. Mike’s community in a meaningful way by supporting students or young alumni with your insight and experience, as well as growing your own personal network by meeting like-minded alumni.
What does being a mentor entail? As a mentor you will be listed in an SMC Alumni directory, accessible to registered program mentees with your professional information, similar to a LinkedIn profile. From there, mentees will reach out through email to set up a phone call, a Zoom call, or a coffee chat. At this point, how the connection progresses is up to you. You may want to meet with a mentee once to provide some insight on a given topic, or you may want to meet more frequently and work through several larger goals together. Alumni Mentors will also be invited to attend a few networking events offered each semester to continue to meet more students and build connections with other Alumni.
To kickstart this exciting new initiative, we are organizing a launch event on October 3, 2023 to bring together mentors, recent grads, and students interested in becoming mentees. This event will not only serve as an introduction to the program but will also provide an opportunity for networking and relationship-building.
Building AMPlify has been a rewarding endeavor, allowing us to support students during a pivotal stage of their lives. We encourage fellow alumni to embrace the opportunity to connect with the next generation, offering guidance and support as they embark on their own paths to success. Together, we can bridge the gap between academia and the workforce, empowering students to thrive in their chosen fields and make a lasting impact on society.
Looking to be involved in the program as a Mentor? Complete this registration form to sign up to be an Alumni Mentor for our inaugural year!
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