International Mentoring Centre

International mentors — Current students

uOInternational

International Mentoring Centre

We offer a variety of valuable services to all University of Ottawa international and exchange students.

What we offer

Our student mentors are available to answer any questions you may have about Canadian culture, uOttawa student life, and more! You can also book an appointment with an international mentor of your home country or region.

Book a meeting with us

Why speak to us?

You are missing home and want to talk to someone who can relate to that experience
You are new to Canada or Ottawa and want to know more about the country or the city
You are experiencing some culture shock and want to learn how to cope
You want to learn more about Canadian culture
You want to discover tips and tricks to help you succeed academically in a new country
You have questions about course enrolment

If any of these situations apply to you, or if you want to learn more about this mentoring program, the international mentors are here for you!

Meet our international mentors

Jyanvi Devi Carma

Country: Mauritius
Languages spoken: English (advanced), French (advanced), Hindi (advanced), Mauritian Creole (native)
Faculty: Arts
Program: Honours B.A in Geography with a Minor in Sociology - French Immersion Stream

"Hi! I am Jyanvi, from the small tropical island in the Indian Ocean: Mauritius. I am majoring in Geography and minoring in Sociology at uOttawa, and like many of you, I am an international student. I joined the uoInternational team as an International Mentor to share my experience and help other students like me, who might be facing challenges adapting to a new place, far from home. If you want some tips and tricks or want to talk to someone, my goal will be to help you through your journey here at uOttawa. Having never lived on my own before, coming to a different country brought a bag of new challenges for me. From assembling my own furniture to eating alone and missing friends and family every day, I have experienced it all. The journey to being independent has taught me a lot of things and more than that, has helped me understand myself better in an unknown environment."

Massika Djarmouni

Country: Algeria
Languages spoken: French (advanced), English (advanced), Arabic (native)
Faculty: Telfer School of Management
Program: BCom Bachelor of Commerce

“Hello, my name is Massika, and I’m majoring in business management. My journey as an international mentor is deeply personal, rooted in my own experience, which started two years ago. My main purpose would be to help you immerse in Canadian culture by providing valuable tips and strategies to excel academically in this new environment, and assist you with any questions or concerns. When I made the life-changing decision to move from Algeria to Canada, leaving behind family and friends, I vividly remember the overwhelming sense of loneliness and confusion, not knowing where to start. I can genuinely relate to these feelings and understand the ache of missing home and the need to connect with someone who’s been there. I can guide you through the process of settling into life in Canada, by offering insights and resources that I wish I had known at those difficult times.”

Tong Cheng Wei

Country: China, Canada
Languages spoken: English (advanced), French (advanced), Mandarin (native)
Faculty: Telfer School of Management
Program: BCom Bachelor of Commerce

"Hello, my name is Tong Cheng. I was born in China and raised in Canada. Combining my international and personal experience, I’m here to support and guide you through your transition as you begin your academic journey at the University of Ottawa. As an immigrant, I faced several challenges adapting to and integrating into the Canadian environment. Loneliness and doubt are feelings that I’ve experienced, like many of you. Thanks to others’ support and advice, I was able to overcome these obstacles."

International Mentoring Center

[email protected]

You can drop by the International Mentoring Center (Tabaret Hall, Room M390).

Book a virtual appointment with us (on MS Teams)!

Note: All students have access to Microsoft Teams through teams.microsoft.com. You can download the Microsoft Teams app to Apple, Android, or Windows mobile devices and to your personal computer. Simply log in using your uOttawa student email address and uoZone password.