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Access Us Peer Mentorship Program

Pair with an Access Us peer mentor and be part of a supportive community that includes:

  • Mentorship by an upper-year student.
  • Social events throughout the semester.
  • Leadership, professional and career development opportunities.

Open to all undergraduate and graduate students who are new to Accessibility Services or new to U of T.

You will connect with an upper-year student who is also registered with Accessibility Services, as well as other students joining the program. You’ll also learn to:

  • Build effective personal and professional relationships.
  • Ask for and receive feedback.
  • Set goals for personal growth and learning.
  • Reflect on experiences and lessons learned for future application.
  • Learn to navigate U of T campus resources and services.
  • Develop self-advocacy skills.

Register for the 2024-25 Access Us Peer Mentorship Program.

Access Us Peer Mentors

Headshot of Rianne smiling.

Rianne Matthias (she/her)

Peer Lead
4th year, Major(s): Global Health & Environmental Biology and Minor: Statistics

Hobbies: Hiking, photography and watching movies.

Fun Fact: I’m left-handed.

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
What excites me the most about working on the peer team at Accessibility Services is the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students with disabilities by creating a more inclusive and supportive environment. I love being part of a team that is committed to helping students with disabilities access the resources they need and empowering them to succeed academically and personally. The collaboration with my peers is also a key aspect that excites me. Working alongside a diverse group of individuals with unique perspectives will challenge me to grow and develop new skills. As the peer lead, I’m particularly enthusiastic about helping others on the team thrive and ensuring we work together efficiently to meet our goals.

Headshot of Crystal smiling.

Crystal Chen (she/her)

Graduate Peer Advisor
4th year, PhD Linguistics

Hobbies: Making doll wigs, toy photography, listening to audio fiction.

Fun Fact: I love watching horror movies, which are infinitely more hilarious when watched with described audio.

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
Helping students, doing research about disability.

Headshot of Ayan smiling.

Ayan Mohamed (she/her)

Graduate Peer Advisor
1st year, Master of Public Health – Social and behavioural health sciences

Hobbies: I enjoy spending time with family and watching tv shows.

Fun Fact: I speak multiple languages, including Somali, English and Arabic!

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
I’m excited to contribute to a supportive environment for students with disabilities, as I know firsthand the impact of tailored support. Being part of the peer team allows me to help others navigate similar challenges while fostering a sense of belonging. I’m also eager to collaborate with diverse peers and gain valuable leadership experience.

Headshot of Andi smiling.

Andi (she/they)

Undergraduate Peer Advisor
3rd year, Anthropology and Urban Studies

Hobbies: Exploring Toronto, taking photos of the CN tower

Fun Fact: I was born on International Women’s Day.

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
I’m excited to help students with the AS registration process.

Alexa Pace-Tonna (she/her)

Undergraduate Peer Advisor
4th year, Criminology and Sociology

Hobbies: Travelling, working out, cycling and spending time with my friends and family

Fun Fact: I have 4 dogs!

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
This year, I am most excited about joining the peer team because I love working in collaborative environments where teamwork is fundamental to our success. I’m passionate about connecting with others to create a safe and supportive environment for the upcoming school year!

Headshot of Shay smiling.

Shay (she/they)

Undergraduate Peer Advisor
4th year, physics and math

Hobbies: Rock climbing, reading and playing guitar

Fun Fact: I have 2 rescue cats named Bandit and Sophie.

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
I am most excited about the opportunity to connect and help other university students like me who may not have much experience navigating university as a student with a disability. I feel like it’s so easy to feel alone and isolated during uni, especially at U of T, so trying to help mitigate that and let other people know they aren’t alone excites me.

Katya Hortogiannos (she/her)

Undergraduate Peer Mentor/Advisor
4th year, Psychology; Health Studies; Buddhism, Psychology & Mental Health

Hobbies: Reading thriller novels and baking!

Fun Fact: My favourite show of all time is RuPaul’s Drag Race, and my favourite contestants were Anetra and Adore Delano!

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
I’m excited to meet everyone on the peer team and learn from each other throughout the year. I have gained knowledge about the various resources and services available through Accessibility Services and U of T in general. Learning with my peers creates a sense of community that is difficult to find but incredibly rewarding to experience.

Headshot of Lisa smiling.

Lisa D (she/they)

Undergraduate Peer Mentor/Advisor
4th year, sociology major with double minor in education and linguistics

Hobbies: Travelling on foot and by public transit, drawing

Fun Fact: I am currently learning American Sign Language.

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
Being able to help students self-advocate for their accommodations and providing clarity in how AS works.

Headshot of Victoria smiling.

Victoria Parlatore (she/her)

Graduate Peer Mentor
4th year PhD Candidate in Higher Education at OISE

Hobbies: Volunteering with Rotary International, trying new cuisines and recipes, travelling, snowboarding, going to the gym, and taking walks and bike rides to explore Toronto.

Fun Fact: I was born on New Years Eve. My last name means “talker”. I am motivated by curiosity.

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
Being able to learn more about Accessibility Services and work alongside folks passionate about accessibility and student services. Being able to connect with and support grad students the way I was once supported.

Headshot of Alishba smiling.

Alishba Afaq (she/her)

Graduate Peer Mentor
1st year, Master’s of Science in Physiology

Hobbies: I love reading different books in my free time, and my favourite genre is mystery/thriller books! I also enjoy drawing, graphic design, and working out.

Fun Fact: My favourite colour is pink–at any given time, there is a 99.9% chance I am wearing and/or have at least two items with me that are pink!

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
I am excited to collaborate with peer supporters at Accessibility Services to ensure that students who may face similar challenges as us are holistically supported and advocated for throughout their journey at U of T.

Kayla Dubois (she/her)

Undergraduate Peer Mentor
4th year, French Language and Literature, Spanish, and Women and Gender Studies.

Hobbies: Shopping, learning languages, cooking, and watching reality television.

Fun Fact: I may be calm and soft-spoken, but I am a chatty extrovert who loves bonding with others!

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
I am excited to be someone others can depend on for emotional and academic support.

Ketmie Bonnifait (she/her)

Undergraduate Peer Mentor
3rd year

Hobbies: Singing

Fun Fact: I have a dog named Teddy

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
Connecting with peers and helping other students.

Headshot of Sophie smiling.

Sophie Quastel (she/her)

Undergraduate Peer Mentor
4th year, Health Studies and Sociology

Hobbies: I love listening to music and podcasts and spending time with my dog. I also spend time wandering around the city trying to find the bakery with the best croissant.

Fun Fact: I’ve been learning sign language.

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
What excites me most about working on the peer team at Accessibility Services is the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on students’ academic life by fostering a supportive and inclusive environment. I’m enthusiastic about helping raise awareness of the resources available at U of T and in Toronto generally.

Justin (he/him)

Undergraduate Peer Mentor
3rd year, Political Science/American Studies

Hobbies: Gym, traveling, meeting new people

Fun Fact: My mom is a U of T alumni.

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
Meeting new people/mentees.

Headshot of Carleigh smiling.

Carleigh Pace-Tonna (she/her)

Graduate Peer Facilitator
2nd year, Direct Entry Psychology PhD

Hobbies: Reading, building mechanical keyboards, learning about airplanes, traveling, crocheting, baking

Fun Fact: I have 4 dogs.

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
I’m most excited about connecting with students again and facilitating groups!

Headshot of Liz smiling.

Liz Cunningham (they/them)

Graduate Peer Facilitator
7th year, PhD in atmospheric physics with a specialization in environmental studies

Hobbies: Mainly knitting and crocheting, but I also do a lot of crafting and DIY in general. This summer I started doing para-rowing which has been challenging, but fun.

Fun Fact: My PhD is in physics, but I am going to be incorporating a large section on EDI work in science into my thesis. The section comes from the work that I did in EDI fellowship during my PhD.

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
I love the community that has been built in the grad working groups over the year that I’ve worked here. Seeing grad students able to relate to each others’ accessibility needs and challenges and celebrate the big and little wins together is really rewarding.

Candice Ann Juttlah (she/her/they/them)

Undergraduate Peer Facilitator
Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies + Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations

Hobbies: Watching movies & reality TV, cooking, dancing, singing, writing, acting, spending time with my children, swimming, and listening to music.

Fun Fact: I went to George Brown for Culinary Management and did an externship in Panama for a semester.

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
I love being able to share information with my peers and help them with the process of signing up with Accessibility Services.

Headshot of Skye smiling.

Skye Reid-Calder (she/her)

Undergraduate Peer Facilitator
Psychology major minoring in creativity and society and science, technology, and society

Hobbies: Theatre, dance (Jazz and contemporary), choir, yoga and pilates

Fun Fact: I hold dual citizenship in both Canada and Britain. I also know how to do calligraphy!

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
I’m excited to support my fellow peers living with disabilities and help build a strong sense of community. I hope to share experiences and resources and create an environment where everyone feels understood and valued. I’m grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals and contribute to making a positive impact!

Sarah Howie (she/her)

Undergraduate Peer Facilitator
4th year, Criminology

Hobbies: Running, baking, listening to music

Fun Fact: I broke my leg in Switzerland on a school trip

What aspects of working on the peer team at Accessibility Services excite you the most?
Meeting and bonding with new people!