Who are we?
The Girl Up Mentorship Subcommittee is a group of fourteen ambitious and passionate students committed to serving and supporting our local Hamilton community. Four members of the committee, Emily, Emma, Layla, and Jayhan, have been dedicated to our mentorship journey from its humble beginnings, returning for their third year of service. In 2021, we were pleased to welcome Ali, Delaney, and Gaby who brought positive energy and innovative ideas to our team. This year, we welcomed Bhargavi, Bhavana, Erin, Grace, Megan, Raquel, and Anna to our subcommittee with open arms. We are so pleased to have built a lovely tight-knit community of students connected by their shared love for volunteerism, service, and mentorship.
What do we do?
We believe mentorship is defined by thoughtful and whole-hearted investment of time and energy. The impact of our mentorship is not defined by the magnitude of change. Rather, we see value in the smallest but most powerful and personal acts of mentorship – making someone smile, creating a safe environment to be authentically oneself, helping those around us see their worth, providing tools for success, engaging in shared activities, or empowering people to feel like the best versions of themselves. Driven by these sentiments, our subcommittee spends our Thursdays supporting Hamilton Mission Services with their 196 After-School Program. This beautiful program aims to empower ten young people experiencing poverty to pursue a post-secondary education and to create positive attitudes around education and self-development. At the 196, the Mentorship Subcommittee prepares activities that empower the students to reflect, collaborate, and grow whether we are listening to music together, performing dances, doing arts and crafts, or having a chat over a snack. On Saturdays, we are grateful to support the YWCA in collaboration with McMaster Medicine as we conduct Art and Advocacy Workshops. We provide the residents with the tools, support, and company to be creative, explorative, and vulnerable in a safe space. Our subcommittee has also has the opportunity to work with Westmount High School providing mentorship, support, advice, or even a listening ear to students interested in post-secondary education and career planning. With campus tours, online communication, and panels, we hope to empower and motivate local students to pursue post-secondary education choosing a career path they are passionate and enthusiastic about.
Through these mentorship and service opportunities, we have discovered that mentorship is a two-way street. As much as we provide the tools for our mentees to learn and grow, they have also encouraged us to learn, reflect, and develop as well. Whether that be reflecting about our privilege, reminding us of our responsibility to give back to our community, or planting the seed for a lifelong love of service, we have had immense opportunities to learn and self-develop. We are eternally grateful for the experiences and lessons thus far, and we are always eager and excited to continue to invest our time and energy in our community.
With love,
Jayhan Kherani (VP External) and the Girl Up Mentorship Subcommittee