Undergraduate Spotlight
Community and connection: My experience as a FASS Peer Mentor
By Sydney Winkler
Hello! I鈥檓 Sydney Winkler (she/her), a second-year Linguistics student here at 尤物视频. I am working toward the Certificate in the Linguistics of Speech Science and an extended minor in Psychology, on the path to becoming a Speech-Language Pathologist.
I am a FASS Peer Mentor and an executive on the Linguistics Student Union team. Through these experiences, I鈥檝e connected with the Department of Linguistics faculty and the team at Arts Central.
When I first entered SFU, I was invited to the #KnowYourSFU event, where I was introduced to the FASS Peer Mentorship program. It鈥檚 a free program where you are for the semester based on your major and interests 鈥� what鈥檚 not to love?
My mentor and I bonded over many things. It was great to have somebody there to support me during the transition from high school to university. During my second year, I wanted to give back to the community and join the mentorship team.
I understand how difficult the transition to university can be, and I wanted to help new students coming to SFU get the best first-semester experience possible. I worked with four outstanding students from the Department of Linguistics and the Department of Psychology.
The mentor鈥搈entee relationship is really flexible. Some students prefer one-on-one chats, some are more comfortable joining group sessions, and some prefer to be mentored via text and email rather than face to face.
When you first get paired with a mentee, you will discuss together the frequency of meetings, expectations and boundaries, and the goals they would like to achieve through the mentorship program. There are many opportunities to meet and connect with mentees, such as workshops and organized events.
Alongside being a peer mentor, I was also a Fall 2024 HIVE Leader. The HIVE (Home for Interactive and Virtual Engagement) leadership program allows you to connect with a group of first-year students on Welcome Day and throughout their first month. Three of my mentees were in my HIVE group, so they were able to connect with one another and myself.
I encourage everyone to consider applying to become a FASS Peer Mentor! It鈥檚 super rewarding to give back to the SFU community and to help ease the transition to university.
Apply now to be a
FASS Peer Mentor
for Summer & Fall 2025!
