As the Trans Mentorship Program enters its second year, coordinators have plans of expanding the program among all UBC faculties.
In September 2020, UBC Vancouver students Alex Gonzalez and Kip Chow, along with other students, launched the Trans Mentorship Program. According to its mission statement, the program “seeks to fill a gap that presently exists for transgender, genderqueer, nonbinary, and Two-Spirit students who either do not feel welcome in or are unable to access other spaces in the university set aside for such students.”
The program recently opened up applications for spring 2022.
Skylar Dubois, a third-year student at UBC Okanagan and program coordinator for the mentorship program, said they had a great response to the program in its first year and that they are looking forward to continuing the program. Dubois is also a member of the transgender, diversity, and Two-Spirit task force at UBC Okanagan.
“It’s been really awesome to see the connections that have been made,” said Dubois.
Going into the new year, they would like to bring a different program coordinator on board in order to gain a fresh perspective and broaden the range through which the program could be advertised to students.
Dubois said that they were often limited to contacting professors within the science faculty — which is where they study. In the new year, they would like to work with professors from other faculties to get the news out about the program.
Administrators have also been willing to advertise the program, according to Dubois.
“It’s really important to foster community and mentorship between trans students,” said Dubois.
Darcy Bandeen, a fourth-year sociology student and the program coordinator for the UBC Vancouver program, echoed many of Dubois' comments on the success of the program. The program had 25 applicants last year, according to Bandeen.
"We've received some really good feedback from people in the program that they've met people that they can bond with and share advice," said Bandeen.
“People are really engaged with the program even if they don’t identify with being transgender or gender queer. [They] are really happy to pass on the information and send it across campus,” they added.
According to the Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre, transgender students in BC who reported feeling connected to their schools were twice as likely to report good or excellent mental health than those who felt disconnected.