Women and non-binary people in UVic sciences find support in this student-led initiative
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UVic’s Women in Science (WIS) peer mentorship program is accepting applications for its fifth year of operation. The program, which accepts those who identify as women and non-binary people, is composed of mentors and mentees studying science at UVic.
The group offers events throughout the term that are focused on providing a space for mentorship pairs to meet and get to know each other. They also offer learning opportunities, such as CV writing workshops and research assistant application tips.
Workshop topics are often based on her and her colleagues’ own experiences as women in science. They focus on “things that have supported us and helped us grow,” said Boere, the WIS peer mentorship coordinator, who added that “sometimes they’re just fun events where we play games.”
Despite applications still being open, Boere says that they already have more participants than ever before. “Every year we’ve been expanding rapidly, which is really, really exciting,” she said.
Boere also said that this year has seen applicants from a wider breadth of disciplines. They have more participants from engineering and computer science, but also an increase of students in kinesiology and social sciences, she said.
Boere, a PhD student in the neuroscience program, was involved with women’s science initiatives during her undergraduate studies at UBC, and decided to continue this work in her post-grad studies at UVic.
“This is an initiative that is really important for me, so I want to make sure that I’m advocating for it,” she told the Martlet.
This fall is Boere’s second year as director. Her role is to coordinate the program and ensure that mentors and mentees are matched with each other. The group considers areas of study when choosing pairs, but Boere said that people are often matched based on other qualities, like BIPOC identity, or those who are the first in their families to attend university.
The mentorship program is looking forward to expanding even more, with the hopes that the group can access more funding. Boere said that she would like to offer official training for mentors provided by paid instructors and established members of the scientific community.
Boere hopes that the program can serve as a means to uplift women as they navigate a male-dominated field. “At least in my experience, being a woman in STEM for a long time, it’s easy to be discouraged,” she said.
Rebekah Shin is a fifth-year microbiology student at UVic, says she’s felt supported during her time being mentored. Last year, she joined as a mentee but also helped to match pairs and coordinate its social media. Now, she’s the Vice President of WIS.
Shin applied to receive a mentor because she was curious about her options for graduate school. “I was at the point in my degree where I wasn’t sure what I wanted,” she told the Martlet.
“As an undergrad, it’s hard to meet grad students and talk to them, so I thought this was a good experience and great opportunity to get connected,” she said.
Shin was paired with a mentor, Natasha, who also did her undergraduate studies in microbiology at UVic before attending graduate school elsewhere. She returned to UVic for her PhD, so was able to provide Shin with a wealth of knowledge.
“It was great, because [Natasha] also understands what the course structures are like at UVic, but she has also experienced other schools,” said Shin, adding that her mentor “was able to give [her] a general idea of what it was like to be in a grad school.”
Natasha assisted Shin with considering her options for graduate studies, and applying for co-op and research positions. Shin said that while her mentor was an asset in navigating these technicalities, the program meant more than that to her.
“Knowing that there’s someone there out there that supports you, that’s really great,” she said.
“Especially for me as part of the Asian community, it’s kind of hard to see someone who is Asian and also a woman in a leadership position. Seeing other minorities in STEM, looking at their journey and how they got to where they are — there’s lots to learn from,” she noted.
Shin encourages anyone interested to apply. The deadline for mentee and mentor applications is Sunday, Sept. 15. For more information, visit www.uvicwomeninscience.com/pmp, reach out to Katherine at uwispeermentorship@gmail.com or check out their Instagram page at @uwispeermentorship.
