The Mentor Circles Program connects students with alumni to discuss career-related interests, industries, and experiences. These informal mentoring sessions provide valuable insights and networking opportunities, empowering students to navigate their academic and career paths while developing leadership and interpersonal skills.
Join us for in-person mentoring sessions at the Alumni & Career Lounge. Explore a wide range of career fields and industries through these engaging discussions with our experienced alumni.
Upcoming Sessions
Date: Thursday, Jan. 29
Time: 5:30 - 7 p.m.
Location: Alumni and Career Lounge
Thinking about medical school? Planning on writing the MCAT or NCLEX? Join us for an in-person mentoring session with healthcare professionals to learn what it takes to succeed and prepare for a career in healthcare.
Alumni Mentors:
Sahib Singh Madahar (BSc ’22, MSc ’24), MD candidate, University of Toronto
Sahib is a second-year medical student at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, who completed his undergraduate studies in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Psychology and then went on to complete a Master of Science with an Immunology focus. His research experiences in undergraduate and graduate studies focused on basic and translational research in cancer biology, cellular senescence and immunology. As a York student, he represented the Faculty of Science as a Science Student Ambassador and served the wider community as a President’s Ambassador.
Ali Forani (BScN ’24), Registered Nurse, London Health, Sciences Centre
Ali is a registered nurse at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), working across several acute medicine units, including respiratory and nephrology. With a strong interest in acute care, he is passionate about the fast-paced, high-learning environment acute care offers to new graduate nurses and is committed to providing compassionate, evidence-based care to diverse patient populations. During his studies at York University, Ali completed a clinical placement at Toronto General Hospital on a medicine unit, where he trained alongside some of the country’s leading nurses and physicians. He also worked throughout nursing school as a clinical extern at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, gaining early hands-on experience in patient care and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Brian Serapio (BSc ’18), Psychiatry Resident at the University of Toronto; Sunnybrook
Brian has a strong interest in the mental health care of older adults and individuals with complex medical conditions. Throughout his medical career, he has been involved in geriatrics-focused advocacy and research. He is also passionate about mentorship and advancing diversity within medicine. He has been involved in several initiatives including the Filipino Association of Medical Students (FAMS) and Community of Support (COS) that provide mentorship to pre-med and medical students from underrepresented groups.
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 10
Time: 5:30 - 7 p.m.
Location: Virtual
Curious about civil service exams or security clearances? Discover hiring processes, submitting competitive job applications, networking tips and strategies for building a meaningful career in the public sector.
Alumni Mentors:
Siham Rayale (MA ’09, LLM ’21), Senior Policy Analyst, G7 Africa Working Group, Global Affairs Canada
Dr. Rayale is a senior policy analyst at Global Affairs Canada and a lecturer at the University of Toronto where she has taught courses in Women and Gender Studies, African Studies Peace and Conflict and International Development. Her academic research has focused on gender, peace and security, conflict and fragility, international law with a focus on Africa. She has extensive experience working in complex humanitarian environments and leading research that promotes women's inclusion in peace processes. She has also worked as a consultant with the World Bank, the UNDP, FAO, and the World Health Organization.
Joanne Huy (BES ’15, MLCE ’23) Senior Advisor, Strategic Engagement, City of Vaughan
Joanne is a community engagement professional with a decade of experience across government, academic and non-profit sectors. Serving as a senior advisor, Strategic Engagement (Inclusion and Community Outreach) at the City of Vaughan, she is dedicated to fostering partnerships and designing data-driven, equity-focused strategies and policies to bridge the gap between community needs and organizational goals. As an IAP2-certified professional, she focuses on fostering public trust by ensuring community input meaningfully influences municipal decisions. She continues to serve her community as a board director for the Jane and Finch Centre.
Natalia Bonczek (BA ’20, MA ’22), Program Advisor, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Government of Ontario
Natalia Bonczek is a program specialist in the provincial public service, specializing in program design, financial analysis, and strategic advisory support. With experience working across policy, program delivery, economic analysis, regulation, and intergovernmental files, she brings a practical and evidence-based lens to complex operational and policy challenges. Natalia has led end-to-end analysis on high-impact program files, including detailed financial assessments, risk evaluations, and implementation planning for executive decision-making. She supports senior leadership in making informed, people-centred, and fiscally responsible choices.
Date: Thursday, March 12
Time: 5:30 - 7 p.m.
More information to come.
Program Highlights:
Flexible and Accessible
Alumni can choose convenient times and campus location for mentoring sessions, ensuring participation without long-term commitments.
Career Guidance
Students gain first-hand knowledge about jobs, industries, and professional experiences directly from experienced York alumni.
Skill Development
This mentoring program helps students develop networking leadership and interpersonal skills, crucial for both academic and professional success.
Become a mentor
The Mentor Circles Program provides alumni the opportunity to share valuable career insights with students who have career-related interests in an informal group setting.
Past Sessions
Date: Monday, March 17
Date: Thursday, Nov. 13
Time: 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Mentor Circles, in collaboration with the Black Excellence at York University (BE YU) program presents this Financial Literacy Workshop.
Alumni mentors
Tinotenda Mutsvangwa (BA ’20, MMgt ’21), Financial Advisor at CIBCTinotenda is a devoted CIBC Imperial Service Financial Advisor, holding both the CSC and CPH certifications. With a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s in Business Management from Schulich School of Business, Tino combines academic excellence with practical expertise to deliver exceptional financial solutions. Tino received many awards in recent years and was selected as one of York University’s 2025 Top 30 Under 30 Alumni.
Date: Monday, March 17
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Format: In-person
Focus: Cross-cultural adaptability and pursuing global career opportunities.
Alumni mentors
Sarah Khan, LLM Researcher at Osgoode Hall Law School & a Dahdaleh Global Health Graduate Scholar; former UNHCR Officer at the United Nations (UN). Sarah has over 12 years of experience with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as a senior protection officer and senior cluster coordinator. Sarah has managed protection monitoring systems for advocacy, coordinated inter-agency protection platforms, and served as Head of Office in Northern Somalia, overseeing refugee and displacement programs. She has also worked with Oxfam, CAFOD UK, and the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre, where she trained NATO/ISAF and UN Mission senior commanders. Having lived and worked across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East—including Afghanistan, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Syria—Khan has addressed global displacement crises.
Prikankshit Mor (MBA ‘23), Manager of Global Engagement, York University. Prikankshit brings over seven years of experience leading cross-functional teams in diverse industries, including higher education, manufacturing, and consulting. His background includes a degree in Computer Science from IIIT Delhi and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business. He is currently the manager of Global Engagement at York University where he leads initiatives to connect alumni across 15 countries. Having founded two startups in India and having worked in diverse international environments, PS brings a unique blend of entrepreneurial spirit, technical expertise, and global perspective.
Date: Tuesday, March 18
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Format: in-person
Focus: Strategies of landing your first government or public sector jobs, interview techniques and different pathways to building your careers.
Alumni mentor
Raphael Costa (PhD ’15), Director, Economic Development at City of Vaughan. Raphael leads initiatives in business retention and expansion, tourism, smart city development, and strategic projects. With over 15 years of experience in the non-profit, academic and municipal sectors, Raphael has helped communities develop and implement strategies, programs, and policies to enhance community potential. Raphael holds a Master's in Public Administration and a Doctorate, with a dissertation focused on community and economic development. He is currently involved with the Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC), the Economic Developers’ Council of Ontario (EDCO), and has served as an expert in cluster development and social enterprise for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
Benjamin Phelps (BA ‘20), Trade Commissioner, Global Affairs Canada.
Benjamin Phelps holds a Specialized Honours Bachelor of Arts in Global Political Studies from York University and a Master of Public Administration in Policy Studies from Queen's University. As a trade commissioner at Global Affairs Canada, he oversees the Aerospace and Defence sector for Ontario, engaging with the local business and diplomatic community, preparing briefing materials for departmental executives and facilitating inbound and outbound diplomatic missions. In 2024, Benjamin completed a temporary assignment at the Canadian Embassy in Warsaw, Poland. In 2020, he served as a Laboratory Attendant with Public Health Ontario during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hasti Almasi (BA ’14, MPIA ’18), Policy Analysis Specialist, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
Hasti is a public servant with the federal government of Canada, at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), on federal Indigenous housing policy. She has over 15 years of experience working with and for various underserved, equity-deserving groups. Hasti is a strong advocate for people who experience oppression at the hands of institutions and seeks to better these circumstances however she can. In her role with Indigenous housing at CMHC, Hasti has worked as part of the policy team that designs, proposes and implements national housing initiatives, co-created and developed with National Indigenous Organizations such as the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and the Metis National Council, and with federal partners, Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. She has worked in collaboration with Caribbean NGOs, UNDP Caribbean, UN Women Caribbean and the Government of Barbados, working on initiatives pertaining to the Millenium Development Goals for Small Island Developing States, and the Barbadian government's first national gender policy. Hasti holds a bilingual Master of Public and International Affairs from York University's Glendon Campus in Toronto and was a 2-year President of the Model United Nations at York during her undergraduate studies. She is a former refugee and was a First Generation university student in her family.
Lauralyn Johnston (BES ’99, MES ’09), Senior Project Manager, Downtown East Justice Centre, City of Toronto
Lauralyn Johnston has worked for Vaughan, Aurora, Regina, Simcoe County and Toronto. Using good data and partnerships, she connects resources for socially sustainable solutions that inform public infrastructure investment and governance models. Her current project is supporting the creation of the Toronto Downtown East Justice Centre an innovative project between the Ministry of the Attorney General and the City of Toronto.
Date: Monday, March 24
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Format: in-person
Focus: Leveraging connection and networking as well as building brands, mastering digital tools and marketing tools.
Alumni mentors
Rebecca Kagzi (BA ‘17), Manager, Social Advertising, Reshift Media Inc. With seven years of experience in digital marketing, Rebecca focuses on social marketing and has collaborated with teams across Google Ads, web development and creative departments. Holding a bachelor of arts in Business and Society and a certificate in marketing, Rebecca has a proven ability to create and execute high-impact campaigns. She has supported over 40 companies, generating thousands of leads through strategic social media and paid marketing initiatives. Recently, she was part of two industry awards and was featured in a Reddit case study for outstanding campaign performance.
Letty Wong (BA ‘16), Marketing Manager, Tokidos. Letty has over three years of experience in marketing across B2B, tech, nonprofit and event marketing and over six years of experience in corporate. Letty completed her Chartered Marketer designation from the Canadian Marketing Association in 2024. She ran TEDxToronto's social media, resulting in a sold-out annual flagship event with 1000 attendees.
Nabeel K. Adeni (MBA ‘18), Product Marketing Consultant – AI, Data, Security, EnLeapXP.Today’s cutting-edge innovation becomes tomorrow’s table stakes—leaving startups struggling to stand out. Nabeel, a Software Engineer-turned-Product Marketer, helps AI, Data, and Security startups stand out and avoid the pitfalls of weak messaging and positioning. He turns technical complexity into compelling data-driven narratives that resonate with customers. For the past 7 years, he has guided startups backed by Microsoft, SoftBank, A16z and Khosla Ventures to create and lead entirely new market categories with his work on go-to-market strategy, sales enablement, product launches, and competitive intelligence.
Date: Thursday, March 27
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Format: In-person
Focus: This collaborative workshop-styled Mentor Circles with BE YU, will give you an overview of how to manage your personal finances: debit and credit management, investing, budgeting, and more from an experienced financial advisor. Join this session to ask an alum your questions and learn how to be financially responsible.
Alumni mentor
Tinotenda Mutsvangwa (BA ’20, MSTM ’21), Financial Advisor, CIBC. Tinotenda is a devoted CIBC Imperial Service financial advisor, holding both the CSC and CPH certifications. With a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s in Business Management from Schulich School of Business, Tinotenda combines academic excellence with practical expertise to deliver exceptional financial solutions.
If you have any questions or would like to participate as an alumni mentor please contact: Issa Abdi Jamaa, Alumni Engagement Officer at issajama@yorku.ca for more details.