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- Category: Student Voices
This summer, four Telfer students led the six-week Telfer Mentorship Program, in collaboration with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). This program aims to give high school students who are seeking a co-op placement the opportunity to learn about the field of business. Students and recent alumni, Wiam Ben Karroum, Jamie Harvie, Laura Oris-Naidenova and Priyesh Sarju, represented the Telfer School of Management as the mentors.
The Mentorship Program and Certificate
It has been increasingly difficult for high school students to find an in-person co-op placement this year. As a result, the OCDSB introduced several virtual mentorship programs in partnership with the University of Ottawa, one of which was with Telfer. The purpose of this program is to create authentic, real-life problem-solving opportunities for students, as well as the chance to network with business professionals and university students.
Over the course of six weeks, the mentors facilitated thematic sessions, planned engaging activities, and invited guest speakers. Each week, the mentors introduced a different topic, then assigned an activity so the students could apply what they learned. Concepts such as networking, leadership, accounting, digital marketing and entrepreneurship were the focus of the curriculum. The high school students ended the summer with credits and a certificate presented by the Telfer School of Management.
Some highlights of the program include:
- Jamie Harvie gave a presentation about LinkedIn along with guest speaker Tania D’Iorio from National Bank Financial joined the group to discuss her key marketing tips.
- Wiam Ben Karroum shared a presentation on leadership in collaboration with executive coach Tina Cantrill.
- Priyesh Sarju was joined by Telfer Professor Marc Tassé to introduce the students to accounting and assign case studies.
- Laure Oris-Naidenova taught a workshop on digital marketing and gave students the chance to create their own logos on Canva.
- Jamie Harvie gave a presentation on entrepreneurship and brought in guest speaker, Anne Khazzam, a 19-year-old entrepreneur who started The S’moresBox in Ottawa.
Testimonials from the High School Students
William Driscoll, a high school student within OCDSB, shared his highlights from the program: “While choosing what my high school co-op placement would be, the online Telfer mentorship program caught my eye and I’m glad that it did.
Led by qualified and engaging Telfer students, my time consisted of meeting with knowledgeable guest speakers, participating in group discussions, and working on tasks such as presentations and case studies.
Each session we had together was centered around a certain business topic such as digital marketing, accounting, leadership, entrepreneurship, and networking, all of which helped me gain valuable insight into their respective fields.
Although this program was limited in some areas by the current need for it to be online, I believe this program will be enhanced even more as it moves to in-person learning.
As a student who is looking to pursue a business-related profession in the future, this program definitely helped me to start that process.”
OCDSB student, Roha Aboud, also had a positive experience with the program: “I really enjoyed participating in the Telfer Mentorship program. My mentors were so nice with me and with others. What I really liked about this program is there was no pressure with our assignments or attending meetings. Our tasks were easy and simple, and we only had to attend meetings on Mondays and Fridays.”
The Mentor’s Perspective: Jamie
“As a former OCDSB student myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the role as a mentor. It was great to return to my former school board a few years after graduating and connecting with students who are in the same place that I was in not too long ago,” shared Jamie Harvie.
Next Steps
After the success of the virtual mentorship program this summer, Telfer and the OCDSB hope to continue the program next year. Ideally, the program would be offered bi-modally, to give the students the flexibility of learning from home, but also allow for some in-person activities. One of the suggestions was to invite the students to campus once a week to explore different areas of campus, such as the uOttawa Makerspace or the Financial Research and Learning Lab in the Desmarais Building.
The OCDSB team is optimistic that by promoting the program earlier in the year, more students will be enticed to register, and as a result, more students will be able to explore their interests in the field of business.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
This Francophonie Month, Telfer is highlighting the inclusion of the French language and Francophone culture in our community.
The Telfer Student Services Centre (SSC) is at the heart of the student experience at the School. The role of the SSC is to guide students throughout their studies, from the time of admission to Telfer through to graduation. With the French community representing close to 30% of our student body and after receiving 2,500 applicants this year to the French BCom program only, French services is an important component of the Centre’s offer.
Since the beginning, in 1969, our School has provided bilingual services to our students. In addition to the availability of bilingualism, the Centre offers services and programs that are adapted to the both the local and international members of our French community through the Undergraduate Office, the International Exchange Program and Scholarship Program, and the Telfer Career Centre.
One of the main goals of the Centre is to make sure that students feel comfortable as soon as they start their journey at Telfer. The Peer Mentoring Program is doing just that.
Student Mentorship Programs
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Peer Mentorship Program
The main purpose of the peer mentoring program at Telfer is to facilitate the integration of first-year BCom students by ensuring that they are accompanied by a mentor, for domestic students, or by an international guide, for international students: “Each student is matched with a student mentor or guide, according to a series of priority criteria, the first being the language of correspondence,” explains Marilou Charbonneau, Student Experience & Event Assistant at the Telfer Career Centre. “In this way, we ensure that each French-speaking first-year student is matched with a French-speaking mentor or guide to ask questions and obtain a variety of resources in French,” she added.
In addition, French is one of the most important criteria in the annual selection process of guides and mentors. It is essential that most of the team members can support French-speaking students.
Fourth-year Accounting student, Priyesh Sarju, is one of the program’s international coaches. Coming from Île Maurice, Priyesh is a good representative of the French diversity at the School: “French is certainly one of my main assets as an International Coach at Telfer,” shares Priyesh. “That being said, many of the international students come from French-speaking countries around the world, so being able to interact effectively in French with them is essential to ensuring they have a successful student experience,” he added. Furthermore, as an international guide, Priyesh can not only help international students with their studies through revision sessions, but also moderate various Telfer events in French.
Camély Gendron is another student mentor in her fourth year at Telfer, completing the Commerce and Juris Doctor program. She shared her experience guiding members of the French community at the School: “When I think of my experience as a Francophone mentor, I immediately think of the word community,” she proudly said. “The students I work with are happy to be able to speak in French to someone who has been through a similar journey. It is also nice to see how united and supportive the Francophone mentors are on a daily basis!”
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Executive Mentorship Program
Another mentoring opportunity offered by the SSC is the Executive Mentoring Program. This program connects senior students, usually third- or fourth-year, with industry executives and entrepreneurs. The program establishes a relationship between a student and a professional so they can exchange ideas, provide informal guidance, and grow their network. This is a way for a student to learn in a one-on-one setting from a business professional.
Isabelle Décarie, Manager, Student Experience at the SSC explains how unique this experience can be for a French Telfer student: “Students can be matched to different successful French leaders in the community. For example, we have a student in the BCom/JD program that is matched with the President of the Réseau des gens d’affaires (RGA).” The experience is also quite unique for the mentors, as it is a wonderful opportunity to meet students interested in their field of work, have great conversations, and learn about the exciting new things happening at Telfer.
Reaching out to the French Community and Beyond
This year, Telfer received 2,500 student applications to its BCom French program. One of the key reasons of this success is the freedom of choice in the program. “We want students to know that they can study in the language of their choice whether it’s in French, in English or in both languages,” stated Émilie Desrosiers, Marketing and Liaison Coordinator of Telfer’s Undergraduate Programs. “We’re really proud of the fact that uOttawa is a bilingual institution,” she added.
The Telfer French community also counts in its rank English-speaking students who also speak French as a second language, or who are working on practicing their French through the various opportunities offered at Telfer. This includes the French Immersion Stream, which is eligible to the French Studies Bursary.
International students coming from French speaking countries can also benefit from the bilingualism environment offered at the University and in the city of Ottawa. “Our international student population likes the fact that they can study in French, experience life in a Canadian city, and that we have a generous scholarship for them”, explains Émilie. Another key factor that appeals to our international population and more broadly is the Co-op program. “Students can gain real work experience and receive a salary during their co-op placement”, she concluded.
There are several scholarship and bursary opportunities offered to French-speaking students, those who study in French Immersion, and International students alike:
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The Bernard and Valérie Marcil Scholarship is offered to BCom Accounting students who demonstrate financial need. The scholarship is named after Telfer graduate and co-founder of Marcil Lavallée, Bernard Marcil.
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The Legico-CHP Fleur de lys scholarship is available to a francophone Telfer student who is from Quebec with an excellent academic record, but who is unable to take on the cost of tuition fees. The scholarship is named after Legico-CHP, an organization that is an amalgamation of two who companies were major players in international and local construction projects.
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The Fleur de Lys Admission Scholarship Fund of the Telfer School of Management was created to provide financial aid to francophone students who wish to join the Telfer BCom program, but for whom the higher tuition fees pose a challenge. The scholarship was created through a generous donation by Mr. Ian Telfer, Telfer’s namesake, and it is designed to help students coming to Ontario and facing higher tuition fees.
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The Marcil Lavallée Accounting Scholarship is awarded to a Francophone student registered to the accounting program who has demonstrated community involvement. The fund was generously created by Ottawa accounting firm, Marcil Lavallée.
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The French Studies Bursary is a $1,000 admission bursary awarded to full-time students in the French Immersion Stream who are taking at least 2 courses (6 units) each term that are taught in French (including French-as-a-second-language courses). This bursary can be renewed for the three following years and reaching up to $4,000 in total.
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The Differential Tuition Fee Exemption Scholarship is offered to an international Francophone and Francophile student who is enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s program as of September 2021. This significant contribution means that tuition fees paid by these international students will be nearly the same as those paid by Canadian students.
- Category: Telfer Announcements
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Executive Mentorship Program at the Telfer School, a program connecting our alumni and senior undergraduate students.
Third and fourth-year Bachelor of Commerce students have the opportunity to hear advice from industry executives and entrepreneurs in the program meetings, and gain a mentor during their studies. Students establish a relationship with a professional who provides informal guidance, networking opportunities, and shared ideas. It provides students a chance to learn on a one-on-one basis from a professional, who has also attended the Telfer School before launching their career.
For the mentors, the Executive Mentorship Program is a wonderful opportunity to meet students interested in their field of work, have a great conversation with the next generation of business professionals, and also learn about the exciting events and opportunities happening year-round at Telfer.
After applications came in this summer, 38 students are participating in the program during the 10th anniversary year. On October 1st, the 2020-2021 group gathered together online on Zoom, allowing each of them to see as many faces on the screen as possible during social distancing measures. One of the alumni mentors, Mark Farrell, shared what he is looking forward to this year after five years of participating in the program. He feels it is a “breath of fresh air” hearing from the newest generation of business students.
To learn more about the program and application deadlines for next year, reach out to Isabelle Décarie, the Student Experience Manager at the Telfer undergraduate office.
- Category: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The CEOx1Day program from Odgers Berndtson offers student-leaders the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to spend a day with a top Canadian CEO.
For many management students, the ultimate career achievement is to earn the title of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of an organization. While being a CEO is a much sought-after position, the job is complex and constantly changing. This one-day event offers third and fourth-year students a unique opportunity to explore a CEO’s role at their respective company.
Last year, there were two Telfer students who advanced far into the program:
Audrey-Anne Délage, semi-finalist
Nayaelah Siddiqui, finalist
International Management and Entrepreneurship student and CEOx1Day finalist, Nayaelah earned one of 18 competitive finalist spots, getting to spend an inspiring day of learning and mentorship with Teresa Marques, CEO of the Rideau Hall Foundation. Nayaelah shared that she “had the opportunity to learn lots of different things” from meeting Former Governor General David Johnston, spending time at the Senate of Canada, and spending one-on-one time with Marques.
Nayaelah faced an intense and eye-opening selection process. To get her day with Teresa Marques, she went through four selection phases: Application, Online Leadership Assessment, Phone Interview, and In-person Evaluation. Nayaelah recalls that she “didn't know if [she] would be the finalist, but just getting through so many rounds gave [her] the confidence boost to never give up and be [herself]. There is a lot to learn even if you don't make it all the way!”
This year, the CEOs participating are from Facebook Canada, Sephora Canada, Capital One, CHEO, and many other companies. Check out the full list of CEOs you might meet here.
Apply for the 2019 CEOx1Day program by Friday, October 25th for your chance to connect with incredible students, business leaders and Canadian CEOs.
- Category: Rising Stars
“Coming to the Telfer School of Management gave me the opportunity to have a fresh start; I knew very few people, and really wanted to maximize my university experience. Becoming involved in the school community through a number of clubs and associations proved to be the perfect way to achieve this,” said Spencer Lee, a fourth year student pursuing his BCom with option in Finance. Spencer explains, “The Telfer School of Management has been incredibly instrumental in connecting me with unique learning experiences, professional contacts and lifelong friends. Through my coursework, club participation, and extracurricular activities, I have truly been connected to what matters to me time and time again, as I develop and grow as a student and a person.”
The Telfer School’s dynamic tagline “Connects you to what matters” has been especially true for Spencer, who has taken full advantage of the multitude of opportunities available to him by getting involved on campus with initiatives like the Capital Markets Mentorship Program (CMMP), the Telfer Capital Fund, being a Teaching Assistant, and being a uOttawa ambassador for the Montreal Exchange program. During the summer, Spencer worked as a Summer Associate at the TMX Group and he will be Telfer Peer Mentor for the 2017-2018 school year. He was also recently accepted into the Telfer Executive Mentorship Program, which will allow him to be mentored by an industry executive, receiving career guidance, one-on-one learning, and networking opportunities.
Always eager to learn new things, Spencer says that being involved in clubs and initiatives that interest him has allowed him to share his passions, while also learning from his peers and industry professionals. “I am constantly motivated by upper year Telfer students who have taught me a great deal and have shown me the countless opportunities available through participating in these clubs and associations, which has been a truly invaluable experience.”
Through his studies at Telfer, Spencer has been able to network, gain practical experience, and travel. He credits much of his success to the initiative he took to get involved. Outside of Telfer, Spencer plays intramural hockey, which he says “provides a great opportunity to stay in shape and socialize with other classmates.”
Spencer concludes that, “One should never stop learning and growing, and it is this concept that really inspires me to get involved and try to gain new knowledge and understanding from any opportunity available to me.”
Connect with Spencer Lee here https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-james-lee/
Also – you can follow Telfer’s LinkedIn activities here!
- Category: Rising Stars
Being a Coach, I see international students every day. We make individual or group appointments to talk about anything and everything. A student may show up with a specific question about a course or can learn about student sport clubs. I am like their “Google” because I answer their questions and refer them to resources that can help them.
In addition to these daily meetings, my team and I organize academic workshops and social events for our students. We often plan lunch meetings where we talk with students while enjoying a good pizza. We also give learning techniques workshops and review sessions throughout the year. As well, we organize outings such as skating on the Rideau Canal or visits to supermarkets. These outings allow international students to be more easily integrated into society and to perform better at school.
I became an International Student Coach two years ago. I want to help new students because I was in their position a decade ago. I am an immigrant from China and I went through what these international students are going through now.
I landed in Canada for the first time on a muggy night in June 2002. I was eight years old when I came here with my parents. I did not know what to expect in my new life because I was unfamiliar with my new country’s culture and language. Integration into a new environment is certainly exciting, but can sometimes be a bit intimidating. I therefore understand that it takes a lot of courage for newcomers to open up to the new people they meet. My role as a Coach is to guide you along your road to integration so that together, we can enjoy this incredible experience that the University of Ottawa has to offer.
- Jia Li
International Student Coach
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Student Voices
The following article was written by a member of our student community. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Telfer School of Management. For more information or to flag inappropriate content, please