Why Become a Mentor?
Mentorship at the BSSC is reciprocal, relational and transformative.
As a mentor, you will:
- Share career, academic and life insights grounded in your lived experience.
- Support students navigating postsecondary life, internships, job searches, graduate school planning and identity-affirming belonging.
- Contribute to a thriving, intergenerational network of Black excellence at McMaster.
- Gain fresh perspectives from emerging leaders with new ideas, questions and worldviews.
- Help shape the future of Black student success locally, nationally and globally.
Mentors often tell us that they get as much out of the relationship as they give. Mentorship strengthens confidence, community and purpose on both sides.
Complete our short interest form below to be matched with a student.
Why Become a Mentor? Sign UpMore Information
Our mentorship model is flexible, community-focused and shaped around your capacity.
You may support students through:
- One-on-one conversations (virtual or in person)
- Career guidance, interview preparation and professional development
- Graduate or professional school advice
- Resume and LinkedIn reviews
- Job shadowing opportunities
- Virtual coffee chats
- Panel discussions and fireside chats
- Participation in BSSC signature events
We pair mentors and mentees based on shared interests, experiences and goals to ensure the relationship is meaningful and mutually beneficial.
All mentors receive:
- A brief orientation to the BSSC’s mentorship philosophy and student needs
- Guidance on culturally responsive mentorship
- Resources, conversation starters and recommended engagement practices
- Ongoing staff support to help nurture meaningful mentor-mentee relationships
You are never doing this alone. We work alongside mentors and students throughout the journey.
Our Annual Alumni Events
Elevate and Empower | Black History Month
Our flagship professional and leadership development series featuring:
- Dynamic career panels
- Skill-building workshops
- Networking mixers
- Storytelling and knowledge sharing from Black alumni leaders
Black Alumni Network
Mentors automatically become part of our expanding Black Alumni Network, which provides:
- Invitations to community events
- Opportunities to mentor or be mentored
- Speaking opportunities
- Early access to calls for partnerships, collaborations, and career postings
- A community for continued belonging long after graduation
Alumni Celebration and Engagement
An inspiring event designed to acknowledge, celebrate and strengthen our alumni community. In this gathering, members get to:
- Network with fellow alumni across diverse fields
- Celebrate personal and professional achievements
- Engage in conversations designed to foster long-term relationships
- Learn about upcoming alumni initiatives and ways to get involved
Our Community on LinkedIn
Abigail S.
Monday night’s Ubuntu Dialogue #1: Justice with Compassion brought together two remarkable thinkers, Dr. Siyabulela Mandela Ph.D. 🇿🇦✌🏿🇵🇸 and Dr. Kofi Hope, DPhil, for an evening that spanned international policy, conflict resolution, and community engagement.
Koko Sanginga
I started the semester as a Pod Lead with the Black Student Success Centre (BSSC) Welcome Week Team. As an outgoing student, I found it particularly important to be part of the orientation of our incoming class of Black students. The first years were the focus of the week but seeing our community grow and relationships form made for a very fulfilling experience.
Oyinade Adekunle
When I sent that first email to the ACGSA team to be added to the membership list, I had no idea that one day I would serve as President of ACGSA McMaster University, the only Black-focused graduate student association at McMaster University.
Landry Kalembo
I had the chance of attending the first Ubuntu Dialogue: Justice with Compassion at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. The evening featured powerful discussions with trailblazing political scientists, including Rhodes Scholar Dr. Kofi Hope, DPhil and Dr. Siyabulela Mandela Ph.D. 🇿🇦✌🏿🇵🇸 —whose presence echoed the legacy of his great-grandfather, Nelson Mandela.
Mark John Stewart
Since its inception only a few years ago, McMaster University‘s Black Student Success Centre (BSSC) has grown into a dynamic hub supporting and championing the academic, personal, and professional success and overall well-being of students.
Oluwadamilola Babatunde
It was a pleasure to be invited as a panelist for the Success & Sanity event last Thursday organized by the Black Student Success Centre Chinazo (Nazo) Okereke, CHRP and Landry Kalembo, MSc, PhD(c) . What made the experience meaningful was the opportunity to speak openly about lived experiences that are not unique to me, but shared by many student-migrants navigating academic, professional, and personal spaces simultaneously.