UBC students need to hear your stories. Throughout the school year, there are a number of ways for alumni to connect with students here on campus and help them as they decide upon career paths and what they can do after they graduate. UBC’s many mentoring programs help alumni stay connected with their university. Through lunches, panel discussions and other events, UBC alumni and other members of the community get together with UBC students and discuss the opportunities and pitfalls of the world of work.
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Through the formal and informal mentoring opportunities available at UBC and beyond, current students can explore their interests and potential careers, develop their professional skills and behavior, and grow their network. But more than that, students who approach their mentoring relationship with purpose and an open mind will benefit from the insight and life experience of those alumni who have already encountered the same challenges and big decisions that students may be struggling with now. Mentoring is no longer simply about getting a job – it’s a form of experiential learning that supports students who are actively curious about the many paths and opportunities that they could pursue.
To get involved in mentorship at UBC, please use the links below to find a program that interests you. If you have any general question, please contact alumni.association@ubc.ca.
The UBC Computer Science Tri-Mentoring Program offers a unique opportunity for UBC alumni in the IT field to mentor Computer Science undergraduate and graduate students, and to connect with other industry and faculty mentors in the program.
UBC Dentistry offers a two-year mentorship program in collaboration with the British Columbia Dental Association.
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The Dental Mentorship Program begins in the student’s fourth year and continues one year after graduation to help ease the transition from student to dental practitioner. This program is open to all 4th year dental students.
A mentoring relationship is built on sharing experience. The UBC Engineering Mentoring Program introduces students to the professional world via connections with industry and faculty professionals, as well as with each other.
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Students receive the opportunity to initiate and maintain professional relationships while they develop skills like networking, communication, organization and leadership. Mentors gain insights into the world of engineering education today, and an opportunity to impact the engineering profession of tomorrow. The Program provides participants with a structured relationship from which to learn, access to UBC support for mentoring/career coaching, three events to connect with all Program participants, and ongoing alumni resources.
The Engineering Physics Student Association runs a second-year mentorship program for upper-year Engineering Physics students (“Fizzers”) to help second year Fizzers through their first year of Engineering Physics.
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If you are an alumni eager to mentor current Fizzers, we do have an informal program to put you in touch with current Fizzers interested in your field, and we would love to hear from you.
September 14, 2011: Mentor and mentee sign-up deadline
Third week of September: Mentorship kick-off lunch
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Faculty of Forestry Mentoring Program
Since 2008, the Faculty of Forestry has offered a mentoring program which matches undergraduate students from Forest Sciences, Natural Resources Conservation, Wood Products Processing and Forestry (Resources Management and Operations) with UBC Forestry alumni and other professionals.
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It is an excellent opportunity for students to network with professionals and for alumni to share their experience with junior and senior undergraduate students.
The UBC School of Kinesiology Mentorship Program is proud to facilitate relationships between HKIN and PE alumni with current senior students.
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The KIN Mentorship Program focuses on professional skill development as well as exposing students to the many opportunities post-graduation by way of showcasing mentors and their chosen careers.
In its 11th year, EMP continues to offer students with a unique opportunity by pairing industry professionals with exceptional 3rd and 4th year Sauder students.
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With years of experience and wisdom, our mentors help their mentees prepare for their future careers. EMP offers Sauder students with numerous opportunities such as building a relationship with a professional from your industry of interest, gaining an inside look into your future career, and practicing your networking skills. We have mentors in Finance, Marketing, Accounting, Real Estate, MIS, and much more.
Sauder School of Business MBA Leadership Mentor Program
The MBA Leadership Mentor Program provides opportunities for students to communicate and develop relationships with experienced business people to develop their leadership skills, gain insight on industries or functions, learn about corporate strategy and trends, and see how executives meet difficult challenges.
The Science mentoring program is available to UBC students in Life Sciences and Research. The program pairs senior students with graduate students, alumni, faculty and industry professionals in the surrounding Vancouver area.
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The program provides participants with a structured relationship from which to learn about future careers and participate in networking opportunities with mentors.
Late August through to October: Mentor and Student Applications Accepted
Late October/early November: Science Mentoring Kick-off
December/January: Mid-Year Networking Event
March: Wrap-up Event
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Pan-UBC Programs
Mentoring at UBC’s Okanagan Campus
In the Okanagan, mentoring is still an organic process, and people are brought together in different ways as opportunities arise. Mentoring may focus on job-finding, choosing a career path, or dealing with life issues, It might take place at an event, in one-to-one meetings or electronically. It could take a few hours or evolve into a lifelong friendship. The small size of the Okanagan campus allows for flexibility and tailoring to specific needs.
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The majority of the alumni from UBC’s Okanagan campus are young and just starting their careers. They are in the unique position of needing life mentors, while at the same time facing challenges head-on that make them excellent mentors themselves for students and peers. Alumni relations on the Okanagan campus facilitates life-changing, life-enhancing connections between alumni of all ages and stages of life, as well as between alumni and students.
Aboriginal eMentoring BC is an online mentoring program that matches post-secondary health science students with urban and rural youth in grades 7 to 12 across BC.
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The purpose of the program is to encourage Aboriginal youth to graduate from high school and pursue post-secondary education.
The entrepreneurship@UBC Mentorship program is designed to assist UBC entrepreneurs by matching them with qualified members of the business community for the purposes of providing guidance, advice and connections.
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Entrepreneurs don’t have the typical support systems that many in business do, such as a boss they can look to for guidance. As a result it is invaluable to have a business veteran they can turn to for objective advice. Having been there and done that, mentors can help save young entrepreneurs from making common mistakes and can point out things in their business that they may be too busy to notice.
entrepreneurship@UBC works with start up companies ranging from the idea stage to those that are in revenue. Companies or individuals that could benefit from mentorship either approach entrepreneurship@UBC or are identified through other avenues. The first step is to assess their needs. Following that, a search is done for an appropriate mentor. Potential mentors are contacted with background information, and if they have both the interest and time to take on a particular mentee, connections are made and the relationship can begin.
An effective mentor / mentee relationship is one that must evolve naturally between the participants. Consequently, beyond offering the connection, entrepreneurship@UBC will not structure the relationships or impose requirements on the parties. There are no formal reporting requirements, however entrepreneurship@UBC may request feedback on the value of the interaction between the mentor and mentee.
UBC Neuroscience Graduate Student Association (NRSC GSA) Mentorship Program
UBC NRSC GSA offers a mentorship program that provides additional support to NRSC graduate students from other students and postdoctoral fellows in NRSC.
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All students from the NRSC Program and postdoctoral fellows doing Neuroscience-related research at UBC are invited to apply.
Student Housing and Hospitality Services Mentorship Opportunities
Student Housing and Hospitality Services offers mentorship opportunities to Residence Coordinators, Senior Advisors, and new Residence Advisors.
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Senior leaders are paired with a professional staff member or alumni who will support and provide resources to maximize performance and assist with the transition from UBC into the workforce. Incoming Residence Advisors are paired with a returning student staff member or young alumni who is able to ease the anxieties associated with many facets of the RA role as well as support RAs throughout the ups and downs of the academic year.
The Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT) Mentorship Program is an initiative of The Vancouver Board of Trade that pairs up final year post secondary students with industry professionals to develop their skills in networking, leadership and community volunteerism.
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LOT has supported over 1600 students to date and helps to apply their academic knowledge to their future career path. LOT runs annually between October and September and applications are accepted between September and May for the following program year.
Connect to Success provides one-to-one mentorship and career-related workshops for women seeking employment in professional or skilled occupations.
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The mentorship team works with a variety of women including recent graduates, those who are new to Vancouver, and women who are returning to the workforce. Along with mentor introductions, mentees get an opportunity to learn new skills, look beyond boundaries in their job search and establish a meaningful relationship with a mentor.
Connect to Success mentors are professional women established in their careers. They come from a wide range of career fields including business, marketing, entrepreneurship, health care, science, arts & design, among others. Mentors share their experience in career development and life-work balance and help their mentee gain a better understanding of employer expectations, job requirements, and accessing the hidden job market.
