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Student-Athlete Mentorship Program
The Student Athlete Mentorship (S.A.M.) Program was createdto be a resource for all student-athletes, aimed at improvingacademic performance. Each year, mentors are selected fromupper-year student-athletes who are empathetic, open-minded,and knowledgeable about campus resources. Each of the mentorshas received training in both learning strategies as well as thereferral process – training that helps support the needs of theirfellow student-athletes.
Throughout the year, the S.A.M. Program also facilitates a numberof free drop-in workshops designed to help tackle issues andconcerns of students like ‘Bounce Back from 1st Semester’, ‘BuildYour Resume’, ‘Scholarships & Bursaries’ and ‘Eat Like an Athlete’.
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The S.A.M. Program also provides a supportive study spacemonitored by mentors for student-athletes to get their homeworkdone and ask for help. These spaces are set up around campus,and include the library and the athletics centre.
Student-Athlete Mentorship Award
Each year at the Gryphon Athletic Banquet,the Student-Athlete Mentor Award is given toa varsity athlete who demonstrates a strongability to develop meaningful relationshipsthat nurture positive change in the academicattitudes of fellow student-athletes. Thisaward is targeted towards a mentor who isa genuine leader and role-model and onewho has made a lasting contribution to theS.A.M. program.
2018-19 S.A.M. Award Recipient: Valerie Lamenta // Women’s Hockey
The 2018-19 recipient of the Student-AthleteMentor Award was two-time All-Canadiangoalie with the women’s hockey program,Valerie Lamenta. The mechanical engineeringmajor, who just completed her fifth and finalseason as a Gryphon by helping secure theschool’s first ever national title in women’shockey, has been just as impressive in theclassroom as she has on the ice. In her thirdyear as a S.A.M. mentor, Lamenta provided apositive, inspiring and uplifting presence forher fellow varsity athletes to help them reachnew heights academically.
