“I’m privileged to be able to attend University [...] this is not a given, this is a privilege and I am thankful everyday to be able to come to school [...] I wake up feeling so thankful for this opportunity to learn.” - Glenn Singh

Glenn is a first generation Canadian who is in his fourth year of studies at York University majoring in social work with a minor in political science, with the intention of pursuing graduate studies. Glenn also has the distinction of being the first in his family to attend post secondary school. This is something he takes pride in. Identifying as a racialized male, social advocacy and equity are important to Glenn. Glenn identifies as a feminist and is passionate about animal rights.

Tags: mature student; social work; first generation student; transfer student;student leadership; student involvement; commuter student; time management; student governance; mindset; being resourceful; privilege; energy management; forgiveness; self-care

Connect with Glenn!

Recorded October, 2019.

Hosted by David Ip Yam.

Music by Jose Miguel.

This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.

“My high school was predominantly white. There were a few pockets of racialized groups. I didn't realize it at the time [...] the microaggressions that we had experienced and how that affected the leadership opportunities that we were given...” - Althea Parala

 In this episode, Althea Parala discusses three distinct and contrasting educational journeys. We begin with her past in a Catholic high school that was attached to a covenant, then we discuss how that compares with her self-affirming undergraduate student leadership experiences, and we end off with a discussion about her feelings of imposter syndrome (despite evident success) in her Masters in Higher Education, specializing in Student Development and Student Services. Currently, she works at York University focusing on peer mentorship programming. (When out of the office and school, Althea enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and eating her way through Toronto’s food scene, all while likely fighting the urge to book a flight to explore new cultures.)

Get in touch with Althea:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/altheaparala/

Recorded November, 2019.

Hosted by David Ip Yam.

Music by Jose Miguel.

This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.

“I started to enjoy learning. I started to learn about (social) issues I didn’t know about. I started to see the world around me not just the superficial world I knew.” - Mujtaba Ahmed-Hassan

In this episode, Mujtaba shares what it was like to be a cis African-Canadian male that grew up in challenging socio-economic circumstances. While he faced many difficult obstacles, he can confidently say he is living his best. In addition to serving as the senior don of an on-campus residence, he takes pride in being a student, friend, son, writer, creator, and more.

Tags: stereotypes; economic hardship; family difficulties; racism; privilege; race; ethnicity; intersectionality; self-confidence; residence life; social work; competition; mastermind; network; mindset

Get in touch with Mujtaba on Instagram: mujtaba5204

Recorded December, 2019.

Hosted by David Ip Yam.

Music by Jose Miguel.

This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.

“Surround yourself with things that will push you further. And from a health perspective, ask yourself if you can do all these things and still be happy and wake up with energy in the morning without experiencing any kind of burnout.” - Jasmine Hector

In this episode, Jasmine discusses her life as a varsity athlete and her transition to pursue another passion and career interest. Jasmine unpacks how she went about this change and the circumstances surrounding the difficult decision. This move ultimately brought her closer to the person she is becoming and had hoped to become.

Tags: Varsity; athletics; family illness; first year transition; career development; health education and promotion; time management; energy management; self-care; self-discovery; health; recovery

Get in touch with Jasmine on LinkedIn.

Recorded November, 2019.

Hosted by David Ip Yam.

Music by Jose Miguel.

This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.

“I had to be honest with myself. I had to ask why perfectionism was so important to me.” - Joy Panjaitan

In this episode Joy discusses the pleasures and challenges of being a creative student. She also unpacks some unexpected family events and internal pressures which led to her decision to extend learning beyond the classroom, to cultivate resilience, and to grow as a student, designer, and person.

Get in touch with Joy

Tags: design; specialization; general education; career development; third culture kid; work experience; year off; perfectionism; parental separation; counselling; career development

Recorded November, 2019.

Hosted by David Ip Yam.

Music by Jose Miguel.

This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.

“Sometimes you need to shift focus. Write everything that makes you happy.” - Kabi Moulitharan

In this episode, Kabi discusses his journey through student leadership. Currently the Team Lead of York’s RED Zone, he has led initiatives to assist incoming students with their transition to York. But wait until you hear about his own transition to University. It wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Listen to how he overcame his lowest points in University and what he learned from the journey.

Get in touch with Kabi:

Tags: first year transition; fitting in; self-doubt; program change; student engagement; boundaries; self-care; fulfillment; student leader

Recorded November, 2019.

Hosted by David Ip Yam.

Music by Jose Miguel.

This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.

“It’s OK to struggle. I was so embarrassed by my past, but I think it makes you a stronger person to have had struggles.” - Carli Gardner

In this episode Carli Gardner unpacks the challenges which influenced her before and during the process of finding the right “fit” for herself at university. Listen to learn what it was like for her to struggle with mental health & disability and how she became a passionate student leader who engages students of all ages and abilities.

If you like this episode, please support by sharing it with someone else.

Tags: transfer student; mental health; disability; program change; sense of connection; meditation; taking risks; student leadership

Recorded October, 2019.

Hosted by David Ip Yam.

Music by Jose Miguel.

This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.