On September 26, students and faculty in degree programs at Conestoga gathered at the college’s Doon campus for the Degree Student Welcome and Mixer. Hosted in collaboration by the Student Engagement and Degree Quality teams to welcome first-year students as part of transition activities, the event aimed to provide interdisciplinary discussion and networking opportunities between students and faculty across the college community.
Students and faculty in degree programs at Conestoga gathered for the Degree Student Welcome and Mixer as part of transition activities.
“The focus of the degree student mixer is to welcome first-year degree students to Conestoga and provide them an opportunity to connect with other students, upper year mentors and faculty from degree programs across the college,” said Janina Robinson, degree programs consultant. “It’s a big decision to pursue a degree at Conestoga, and we want students to feel supported and confident in that choice.”
The event followed a round-robin speed networking format, where groups of first-year students moved from station to station to connect with upper year mentors and faculty to build relationships, ask advice and learn more about college services.
Brittany Bates, an upper year mentor in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, was one of five mentors representing several Conestoga degree programs at the event.
“We’re here as another source of support for students to learn how to be successful in their programs,” said Bates. “This is my second degree, and I saw this event as a great opportunity to offer what I know.”
Upper year mentors provide peer-to-peer advice by sharing their experience from the perspective of a student. The program is hosted through Student Engagement.
For first-year Bachelor of Early Learning Development student Tiffany Ghany, the event provided an opportunity to connect with the college community outside of her program. “I moved to the area two months ago,” said Ghany. “I wanted to participate today to network and meet new people -- it’s always nice to see a friendly face around campus.”
Ghany, who is from Trinidad and Tobago, also appreciated the opportunity to participate in an event meant to help her succeed. “My ultimate goal is to be a child psychologist -- I took the early learning development program to give me a good foundation,” said Ghany. “I see events like the Degree Student Welcome and Mixer as a key step in making my journey successful.”
“It’s important that we provide students an opportunity to be involved to shape their experience at Conestoga,” said Robinson. “We look forward to further connecting with all degree students at the college to support them in leading and creating unique interdisciplinary initiatives that allow for opportunities for networking, creativity and skill building, as well as have an impact on their peers, the institution and the wider community.”
Conestoga’s Student Engagement team meets the needs of students through innovative programming designed to achieve goals with learning outcomes-based initiatives including the Co-Curricular Record, Orientation, the Respect Campaign, the Connect Leadership Workshop Series, and various student volunteer and committee opportunities.
Conestoga’s degree programs focus on delivering instruction that is based on both theory and practice and are developed in consultation with industry leaders to align with workforce demands. Programs feature real-life learning experiences, including paid co-op work terms, and class sizes that support teamwork and vital student-faculty interaction.