Zyrinne Tolentino, Charge Ahead Peer Mentor

Hey Bisons! My name is Zyrinne, a third-year Faculty of Science student, a Charge Ahead Peer Mentor and very fortunately, a recipient of the Walter and Maria Schroeder Scholarship. Today, I wanted to share my unique experience of once being a Schroeder Transition Program participant to now mentoring new scholarship recipients!

What is the Schroeder Transition Program?

The Schroeder Transition Program is a six-week preparatory experience designed for all new Schroeder Scholarship recipients. It offers students a head start on university life by introducing them to the campus and highlighting the wide range of resources available to support their success at UM.

My Time as a Program Participant

I participated in this program during the Summer of 2023, just before beginning my first term. ARTS 1110, an introductory writing course, gave me an early understanding of the structure of university courses and the academic expectations placed on students. Campus meet-and-greets provided valuable opportunities to build connections early-on with staff and faculty. Through Intro to Communications, I gained confidence speaking on my feet and practicing public speaking in a supportive, low-stakes environment. Finally, University Math Prep cleared up any gaps in my pre-calculus knowledge, ensuring I entered my first-year math courses with a solid foundation.

One aspect of the program I especially valued was its strong emphasis on building meaningful connections—both with peers and with the wider UM community. University can often feel isolating, but being surrounded by fellow students who were also navigating the transition from high school gave me a genuine sense of belonging. Completing the program not only boosted my confidence but also reassured me of my ability to succeed at university.

Becoming a Peer Mentor

The opportunity of becoming a peer mentor was unexpected, but something I realized I really wanted to do! The thought of being able to support and guide students as I was once supported and guided was so exciting and felt like such a full-circle moment. My Student Transitions Mentor made a huge impact on me that summer and became someone I could reach out to beyond the program.

I spent this summer developing and facilitating the programming for the students and hoped to build upon and share the great experiences I once had. Seeing the students every day, celebrating their wins, and helping them overcome their challenges was very meaningful and has left me with so many treasured memories to carry forward.

What’s next for me:

Looking ahead, I may not know exactly what the future holds, but my time with Charge Ahead has made one thing clear: I love supporting my peers, and that will continue to guide me in whatever I do next. Starting university has already brought so many new experiences, and I’m eager to keep learning more about myself and what I enjoy most. I’m incredibly grateful for the generosity of the donor, which has opened the door to opportunities I may not have otherwise had.

How it all started?

I started working for the program in winter 2023 when we were just a team of four mentors sharing an office space. As a new immigrant to Canada, I found myself deep in winter blues trying to find ways on how to be a good student while also maintaining some semblance of a social life. Working for charge ahead helped me just do that! Not only I found an amazing cohort of peer mentors who excitingly shared strategies on how to prep for my first winter, I also found avenues to make connections with the student population at UM.

Where have we come so far?

As the program grew from a pilot to an independent student resource, so did our dedication to work with diverse student populations. I am glad to have had the opportunity to work on some amazing programming material like a personalized calendar (I assure you it’s Pinterest approved) to developing workshops and conducting one-on-one sessions to understand student needs. In my years of working with students I can now say we are there to support students no matter where they are in their journeys.

Why did I become a peer mentor?

My story of becoming a mentor is imbedded in my personal experience of being a mentee. I have been a student for the most part of my life and the one thing that has always helped me get to places is my mentors. I still remember my peer mentor from my undergrad days helped me learn everything about student life- from teaching me how to create a timetable to navigating public transport they were there through it all. Since that mentorship program, I have always wanted to help people navigate their journeys and find some amazing people like I did. Nothing makes it easier than a supportive mentor!

My favourite memory as a mentor?

This was in my early days at the program when I was still learning about UM policies and procedures. I recall meeting a student who wanted to transit to their faculty of choice but weren’t sure if they have met all the criteria. We sat down, looked at all pre-requisites and figured out their eligibility. I walked them to their academic advising office and was rooting for them while they completed the process. Being a part of one the happiest academic moments of their life made me realise true joy and also the value of helping each other as a community.

As we enter the new academic year, I wish all the very best to all incoming and returning UM students. Remember you are not alone, Bisons always are part of a herd. Whenever you need us, we are there support to you, rooting for you from the stands!

If you are interested in becoming a peer mentor, Charge Ahead is hiring this fall term. Check out our job posting on UM Connect for more details. You can search “78871 – Charge Ahead Peer Mentor (Fall)” to find the posting quickly in UM Connect.

What is the Charge Ahead program?

Offered through the Student Transitions and Success Centre, Charge Ahead is a peer-facilitated program that equips students with the tools, resources, and community they need to succeed in university and beyond. Rooted in UM’s commitment to fostering resilience and academic excellence, the program offers a blend of individual mentorship on drop-in and appointment basis and interactive workshops that transfer academic skills and contribute to student success holistically.

Our new space: A Place to connect and thrive!

Made possible through the 2023-2024 Strategic Initiatives Funding, we are opening the doors to our new Charge Ahead space in room 107 Tier Building. This space will function on a drop-in basis and will provide students at every stage of their academic journey with the opportunity to:

• Meet with highly trained peer mentors who can provide guidance and help create an actionable plan for success
• Participate in interactive activities, including conversation groups and skill-building workshops designed to address the unique challenges that students face
• Access curated resources on study strategies, positive psychology, resilience and more
• Find a quiet corner to study, reflect and recharge in between classes
• Build meaningful relations by connecting with peers that share similar goals and challenges

Join us for the grand opening:

We’re inviting all students, staff, and faculty to join us in celebrating this exciting development. Come explore the space, meet the Charge Ahead team, and learn more about how we can support your journey at UM.

Date: January 30, 2025

Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Drop by any time!

Location: 107 Tier building

The Charge Ahead program thrives on collaboration between a dedicated group of peer mentors, staff, and the broader UM community. Built on the values of encouragement, inclusivity, and personal development, this initiative creates a nurturing environment where everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and succeed.

For any questions: please email Charge.Ahead[at]umanitoba[dot]ca

We look forward to welcoming you to our space and supporting your journey to success. Let’s charge ahead together!

Charge Ahead program

The Charge Ahead program is designed to support students facing roadblocks in their academic journey. Book a one-to-one consultation with a Charge Ahead mentor, an experienced upper-year undergraduate or graduate student who understands the challenges you’re experiencing. Together, you’ll reflect on your academic journey and develop an actionable plan to move forward. Learn more by visiting the Charge Ahead program page.

Academic advising

Every student benefits from meeting with an academic advisor throughout their degree program, even if they feel confident in their planning and progress. If you feel like you have fallen off track, that is even more reason to book an appointment. The academic advising webpage will help you find the specialized advisor for you, because there are a variety of different advising offices for different students’ needs. Most students can refer to the advising office for their school or faculty, but there are also specialised advisors for Indigenous, international, first year, graduate, and transfer/advanced degree students.

Advisors can review your academic history and help you figure out a new plan with what courses to take or resources to help you succeed in those courses. They aim to get a holistic sense of your experiences and goals to formulate a plan that works for you. In your appointment, you can talk about short-term goals, like succeeding in a class, or long-term goals, like working towards your future academic and career aspirations. Even if it seems that way, you are never out of options, and an advisor can show you what those options are.

Career Services

For more career-specific help, Career Services is also available to all students! Similarly to academic advisors, career consultants aim to understand your unique academic and career journey to give you personalised advice on how to get where you want to go (or even to figure out where you want to go in the first place). Career services can help you takes steps towards your future career goals now through your academics, as well as connecting you with people and resources to start building the skills and networks to develop the foundations of your career now. The Career Services site has all the information about the different services and programs you can take advantage of.

UM Achieve

UM Achieve is a simple digital tool that helps you track your degree progress. You can run a degree audit, which will review your course history to show you what requirements you have completed and what remains to be done for a particular degree program. As well as reviewing your current degree of choice, you can run a “What-If Audit” to see how your current credits may apply to another degree program if you choose to switch (staying flexible throughout your degree and keeping your mind open to all your options is always a good idea). You can find UM Achieve through your New Aurora dashboard. If you look at your audit and are not sure how to meet the requirements you see, that is a perfect time to make an appointment with an advisor.

Academic Learning Centre

The Academic Learning Centre (ALC) is a treasure trove of in-person services and online resources, with the singular goal of helping you succeed in your academics. For one-to-one help, you can book an appointment with a tutor. Tutors can help you understand course content or help with your writing or study skills. Specialised tutoring services are even available for graduate students and students with English as an additional language. For group-based programs, the ALC can connect you with group study sessions and academic skills workshops. There are even resources you can access at any time online, including “tip sheets” and video workshops. This content covers nearly all the major areas you need to succeed, from specific tasks like note taking to broad skills like time management. You can find more information about all of the services described here on the ALC’s website.

Just reach out

Finally, one of the best ways to keep your head above water when you feel lost in your academic journey is to reach out and connect with the members of your community at UM. For instance, you can talk to your instructors about any problems you are experiencing in your class, or you could even talk to the head of your program of study for broader questions about whether the program is right for you. Getting in touch with your peers is always smart, too. You will probably find that your classmates have encountered many of the same challenges as you, so they may be able to offer advice, or you can tackle the problem together. If you connect with your faculty or department’s student groups, you might even discover additional academic resources offered by your peers.

If you are trying to bounce back for this winter term, you do not have to face any challenges alone. Each of the resources described above is available to University of Manitoba students free of charge, and the staff and students involved want students to take advantage of these opportunities to help them succeed. Best wishes for the new year and new term, Bisons!