Are you looking for a mentor? You are at the right place!

The Education Graduate Students Association launched its mentorship program in September 2020. The aim of the program is to provide graduate students in the Faculty of Education with a peer to peer support network, where academic interests and experiences can be shared. You can peruse the biographies of mentors below to find one that matches your needs and interests.

Found a mentor you are interested in? You can request a mentor by filling out the following form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdf5uskhTwEi16IdBXEe8_UJ04PMIvA5S3BSyO1aEbZMQoWhw/viewform?usp=sharing 

If you would like to sign up to be a mentor or have any questions about the program, please send an email to one of the administrators to get you started. Thank you!

Administrators:

Hannah Sutherland – hsuth039@uottawa.ca 

Golshan Mahjoub – gmahj097@uottawa.ca

Meet our 2023-2024 mentors!

Mentors in a Masters Program

Brutelle Audrey C. Kom is a graduate degree student at the University of Ottawa. She is currently pursuing her graduate studies in the Master of Education program in the Counselling Psychology stream. Audrey completed the majority of her studies in Quebec before coming to Ontario. Teaching and reading are a real source of inspiration and passion for her. She would be happy to help guide, whether it be by providing you with tips on how to succeed in your studies or by being a source of advice and motivation for you. 

Brutelle can mentor peers in French.

Budyanee grew up in Sri Lanka and moved to Canada at the age of 15. She completed an undergraduate degree of Psychology, with dual minors of Spanish and American Sign Language at Carleton University. She is currently enrolled in the MEd program (counseling psychology) at the University of Ottawa. She knows the best food spots in Ottawa, and is always looking for good hiking recommendations. Feel free to chat with her about life, school, or future goals!

Budyanee can mentor peers in English.

Jenaya was born in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, completing her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta. She later moved to Ottawa to begin her Master of Education in Counselling Psychology, and is enrolled in her final year. She is completing her clinical internship at a private therapy practice, and works on the Student Support Team at uOttawa. In her free time, Jenaya enjoys hiking in the mountains, dancing, playing music, exploring restaurants and cafes, and spending time with friends and family. She is happy to help in whatever way she can!

Jenaya can mentor peers in English.

Mentors in a Doctorate Program

Béatrice Crettenand Pecorini is currently a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Education, majoring in teaching health professionals. She holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Ottawa, a federal diploma in vocational education (adult education), a certificate of specialisation as a nurse anaesthetist, and her nursing training obtained in Switzerland is recognised in Ontario. She also has an advanced paramedic certificate and specialises in training USAR (Urban Search And Rescue) teams. As an independent consultant, she has carried out many humanitarian missions in response to disasters, as well as training health professionals and volunteers. With her atypical profile between health and education, Béatrice is currently focusing her research on an innovative educational technique for the psychological well-being of older people and social inclusion: digital narrative gerontology, which she began during her master’s programme. Based on lifelong learning and intergenerational learning, her research covers pedagogy as well as andragogy and gerontagogy, and she uses digital technology to link the generations. Béatrice also has a wealth of experience as a research assistant at the University of Ottawa (Faculties of Education, Social Sciences and Arts), as well as mentoring international students, which she was herself not so long ago.

Béatrice can mentor peers in French.

Derya is a third year international PhD candidate at the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. She is a proud woman of color, a feminist ESL/EFL high school teacher/educator for thirteen years, and a former Fulbright scholar. Her research focuses on empowering women not only survive but also thrive through difficult circumstances. Her research focuses on a phenomenological study of silence and writing as a form of being and becoming. She has also professionally and voluntarily served as a mentor at various university writing centers, international student centers, and highschools. As for her non-academic interests, she likes writing poems, going on long walks or hikes, spending quality time with her son, reading for pleasure, working on her macramé skills, learning a new language and procrastinating on what to do next. She likes meeting new people and hearing about the exciting journeys that allow their paths to cross. She wishes everyone a smooth academic journey and hopes to be of help if need be.

Derya can mentor peers in English and Turkish.

Elise Guest is a PhD student in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. The focus of her research is on the multiple quality-assurance requirements for Nursing education programs in Canadian post-secondary institutions. She is employed full-time at Engineers Canada on the accreditation team and runs her own consulting firm (Noctua Consulting Services) at the intersection of her professional and academic work. Elise is available to mentor other graduate students who are also navigating their studies and professional employment. She is also available to discuss how to get started in consulting and managing those activities.

Elise can mentors peers in English.

Golshan Mahjoub is an international PhD candidate. She has studied English literature for her Bachelor’s degree and Teaching English as a Second language for her Master’s in her home country, Iran. She moved to Canada for her doctoral program in 2019 and chose to pursue a different path of study. She is currently studying the representation and inclusion of women in STEM education. Academic life aside, Golshan is a language enthusiast, mother of apartment plants, and a fiction reader. Golshan is eager to share her experience with new students, especially international students, and to support them in their academic path in the Faculty of Education.

Golshan can mentor peers in English and Farsi.

Natalie Sadowski (she/they) is a Ph.D. Candidate studying educational programming in science museums. In particular, her doctoral work is centred around the role of disability in the development of these programs. Natalie started her academic career in chemistry before moving to informal education. She is eager to share tips and tricks on transitioning into the social sciences from the physical sciences and mastering APA format. When she is not cringing at the prospect of writing in the third person, she enjoys picking up different hobbies every month only to inevitably discard them. In addition to her hobby of collecting hobbies, Natalie has two cats who like to watch tv with her.

Natalie can mentors peers in English and Polish. At this time, she is not accepting new mentees.

Recently Graduated Mentors

Jacquelyn Wingrove (she/her) was born in Sutton, Ontario and speaks English fluently. She has recently completed the M.Ed program in the Health Professions Education stream. Jacquelyn is working full-time at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College as the Coordinator of Clinical Experiences. Her academic areas of interests are in equity, diversity and inclusion in higher education, competency-based education, and mentorship. She enjoys sharing her experience of balancing full-time work and part-time studies with new graduate students.  

Jacquelyn can mentor peers in English. At this time, she is not accepting new mentees.