About 2 weeks ago, I stopped by CampusOne to chat with some of the Health & Wellness Peer Supporters. In case you don't know, the Peer supporters are students that are trained to provide confidential advice on topics such as academics, extra-curriculars, mental health and more! They tend to be upper year students so whatever road blocks you may be facing there's a good chance they've probably went through it too! Scroll further below to learn more about them!
Meet Forrest he/him
Year of study: 3rd
Program: Psychology
How do you take care of your well-being: Listening to music (soul and classic rock) and naps
Fun fact: I was a ski instructor for 6 years
Favourite study spots: Gerstein library
Meet Roxana she/her
Year: 4th
Program: Psychology and Physiology
Why did you want to be a Peer Supporter? I thought that Peer Support sounded like a really good resource for students to have, and since I enjoy listening to people as they talk through whatever's on their mind, I decided to apply! I also want to be a psychotherapist one day, so I thought it was a good way to practice offering one-on-one support.
What is your favourite part about being a Peer Supporter? Working as a Peer Supporter has introduced me to many resources at U of T that I wouldn't have known about otherwise, as well as introducing me to the people working on them! Also, talking to so many different students has given me a great deal of perspective on the experiences that people are having at this school.
How do you take care of your well-being: Being mindful of how I use my free time
Fun fact: I write for the Woodsworth Owl Magazine
Meet Ketan he/him
Year of study: 1st
Program: Masters in Public Health
Why did you want to be a Peer Supporter?Mental health support is an important aspect of University life, so I was eager and excited to support the Peer Support Program. Being able to help my peers in any way I can through referal of resources, being an ear for them or just hanging out is a rewarding experience. I know I would have benefitted from Peer Support during my early years of undergrad, so I was determined to provide the help to other students I know first year me would want.
What is your favourite part about being a Peer Supporter? Apart from getting to help my fellow U of T community, I enjoy working with an amazing team weekly towards our overall goals! They are all so nice and caring about what they do, it makes being a Peer Supporter even better.
How do you take care of your well-being: Listening to music! My favourites are soca, dancehall and afro beats.
Fun fact: I’ve watched game of thrones about 10 times!!
Favourite study spot: Student lounge at the Dana Lana health sciences building
Meet Ashna she/her
Year of study: 4th
Program: psychology and peace conflict and justice
Why did you want to be a Peer Supporter? As I was entering my fourth year, I was definitely very aware of the need for more mental health supports on campus. When I heard about the Peer Support Service, I thought it was a really great initiative to give students the opportunity to speak to other students who have been through similar struggles, and knew I wanted to be a part of it. Some of my favourite moments at U of T have been those in which I've been able to relate to my peers and feel supported by them, and I felt that it would be really rewarding to be able to do that as a Peer Supporter.
What is your favourite part about being a Peer Supporter? There's a lot of things to love about the program, including having a really knowledgable, supportive team. But if I had to choose, I really enjoy attending our pop-ups across campus that we do to raise awareness about the service. It's a lot of fun to be able to speak to a large number of students across campus and explain what peer support is all about.
How do you take care of your well-being: Making time to hangout with friends
Fun fact: on my first day in Toronto I met Simu Liu!
Favourite study spot: Emmanuel College
Meet Eva she/her
Year of study: 2nd
Program: Master of Social Work
Why did you want to be a Peer Supporter? I have always been interested in advocating mental health and supporting people around me
What is your favourite part about being a Peer Supporter? Becoming part of this team is such an honour that we get to not only support other U of T students but also be able to provide AND receive support from one another.
How do you take care of your well-being: Playing puzzles, walking and journaling
Random fun fact: I own two plants (succulents) as my pets :’)
Favourite study spot: Gerstein Library
Last thoughts...
To learn more about Peer to Peer Supporters, check out this link ➡️ uoft.me/peer-support
P.S The Peer Support for the school year ends on April 14 and begins again in September!
-Bolu 🫶🏾
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