Academic Success

Meet your Academic Support Coaches!

Sofia Ali

Hello! My name is Sofia, and I am a Masters of Public Policy & Administration student here at TMU! I previously did my undergraduate degree in Political Science at the University of Calgary. I have worked in both the private and public sectors over the past four years, which has been an incredible asset to my education. I have a passion for debate and public speaking, which was sparked by my involvement in my university's debate team. On a personal level, I love winter sports - skating and skiing are my favorites.

Eve Cassavoy

My name is Eve Cassavoy and I am a first year student in the Criminology and Social Justice program. My undergraduate degree was a Bachelors of Science, Honors, in Psychology at the University of Ottawa. I am especially interested in the relation of psychology to criminology and access to mental health resources for indigenous populations. I’ve worked extensively with different branches of the Canadian government but wanted to gain deeper knowledge of criminology from those who experience forms of violence. My scientific background still helps me in many ways; from being able to read journal articles to understanding biological factors contributing to mental illness. Outside of school, I am an avid bookworm and even still read physical newspapers! 

Karen Chan

My name is Karen Chan and I am a first-year Master’s student in the Psychological Science program! I recently completed my undergraduate degree at McMaster University and I am very excited to continue my research investigating the intersectionality of face perception and social biases at the SPIRAL lab at TMU. My two years of experience in student mentorship within an academic and research setting has familiarized me with effective reading and writing techniques used in scientific literature. Hopefully, I can share these tips with you! Outside of my academic life, I am a huge travel bug (I’ve been to 22 countries so far) and I love to cook. 

Felicia De Sousa

My name is Felicia De Sousa and I am currently pursuing a Masters of Criminology and Social Justice here at Toronto Metropolitan University. Aside from my education, my work and volunteer experience often revolve around youth justice and child and youth care. I have worked in educational capacities before and as I am currently working towards furthering my education, I want to expand my knowledge in other capacities such as those within the academic support centre. I enjoy working with different demographics that can provide different inputs, ideas, and perspectives to their work and I hope we can all contribute together this semester! In my spare time, I enjoy reading, watching movies, going for walks, and listening to music. I look forward to meeting everyone this semester!

Natalie Martin

My name is Nat (she/her) and I’m a PhD student in philosophy at the University of Toronto. Before my PhD, I completed a master’s degree in philosophy at TMU. My main area of research at the moment is bioethics. I’ve been learning or teaching at a university for the last eleven years. That means I have lots of practical tips for academic writing, reading, and surviving. My goal is to help you learn to thrive in university (and beyond!) 

Nneoma Okafor

Hello! My name is Nneoma, and I am currently a TMU MPPA student! I have two undergraduate degrees, which means I have a wealth of experience writing academic papers and strategically planning my university career. I have worked as a TA grading essays; therefore, I know what makes an excellent academic paper. In addition, I have a passion for helping students navigate the complexities of academia, so reach out if you need any help with planning, organizing or writing essays. In my free time, I enjoy watching TV (currently watching Harlem on Prime), hiking and taking road trips.

All current Faculty of Arts students.

• Anytime!
• When you are starting, working on or completing an assignment, statement or application
• When you are looking for advice or have questions
• When you want to step up your academic performance
• When you want support to help you succeed
• When you feel that you are struggling or may be struggling in the future
   

Academic Support Coaches will:

• Help you with any piece of writing from your Arts courses, or on personal statements, research statements, or other scholarship/graduate school application elements
• Work with you to develop your ideas, brainstorm different approaches, understand assignment prompts, and refine your written communication style
• Work with you to develop your own identity as a writer
• Help you with other academic skills too - we can discuss things like time management, exam preparation, the research process, or taking notes in lectures

Academic Support Coaches won't:

• Edit or proofread your written work for you
• Read your work in advance of the appointment
• Provide feedback in emails

Each appointment is booked for 1 hour, though the actual consultation will usually take about 45 minutes.

You’ll need to share your piece of writing, so please bring a hard copy, upload your document on WCOnline, or give your Coach access to a Google Doc.

We note which class you’re in for our records, but we do not inform your faculty member or TA that you’ve visited us.

You can book up to two appointments per week.

If you are more than 15 minutes late, your appointment will be marked as a ‘no-show’. Please email artscoaches@torontomu.ca to discuss rescheduling.

You can cancel using WCOnline up to two hours before your appointment time. If you need to cancel after that, please email artscoaches@torontomu.ca.