Renison University College is an extremely supportive place to live on your own for the first time. We have the lowest don to student ratio on campus, meaning there are a larger number of upper-year students trained to be resources for you than anywhere else!
On top of this, there are many living-learning groups, Peer Leaders, professional staff including a Chaplain, all in the same building. We are here to help!
Student Experience & Housing Full-time Staff
Meet with A.J. Dixon (English Language Institute Student Advisor)
A.J. completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Victoria with bachelor's degrees in Education and Arts. As a Student Advisor, A.J. is here to support students in our English language programs during their academic journey. A.J. can help you with:
- Effective learning strategies and study habits for Canadian university life
- Time management strategies so you can keep track of tests, assignments, and appointments
- Effective note-taking skills and getting the most out of your courses
- Preparing for tests and quizzes and reducing test anxiety
- Conversation practice and sharing what he knows about Canadian history and culture
REGISTER FOR A MEET-UP WITH A.J. DIXON
Meet with Ryan Connell (Assistant Director, Student Experience & Housing)
Ryan is a proud graduate from the Social Development Studies program at the University of Waterloo. As your Assistant Director, Student Experience & Housing, Ryan is very knowledgeable about all of the campus services and resources available to University of Waterloo students. Some of Ryan's most popular things to talk about include:
- All of the campus services available to you as a Waterloo student and what you are able to access to support your academic and personal success
- Mental health wellness and strategies to improve your well-being as a university student
- Advice for studying in an online environment. Fun fact: Ryan completed his UWaterloo degree, two college certificates, and a Masters degree completely online
- Tips for adjusting to Canadian culture and building your language skills outside of the classroom
REGISTER FOR A MEET-UP WITH RYAN CONNELL
Meet with Alex D'Alton (Student Experience Coordinator)
Alex completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo in Legal Studies, and is now pursuing his Masters of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology at the university. As your Student Experience Coordinator, Alex is a great person to speak with about the university community and advice to build skills that will look great on your resume. Some of the most popular things Alex likes to help with include:
- Ways you can get involved in your campus community and improve your communication and leadership skills
- Entrepreneurship, what it is, and how this is such a big part of the University of Waterloo community
- Conversation practice and sharing what he knows about life in Canada
- Anything related to science, technology, or engineering! Alex was very involved with student design teams at Waterloo when he was a student
REGISTER FOR A MEET-UP WITH ALEX D'ALTON
Meet with Rev. Scott McLeod (Chaplain)
Rev. Scott McLeod is the Chaplain at Renison University College. Scott is a friendly face and a safe space to talk about anything and everything. Scott enjoys talking about spiritual questions, but you don’t have to talk about religion unless you want to. Some of the most popular things Scott likes to help with include:
- Mental health wellness and strategies to improve your well-being as a university student, including managing stress.
- Guidance to student services at the University of Waterloo as well as referrals to professional medical and health services in the local community.
- Spiritual care including acting as a spiritual director, helping students with faith questions, and valuing our spiritual lives.
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Pastoral care including being a listening ear, a safe person to talk to, and supporting people as they live through life's struggles.
REGISTER FOR A MEET-UP WITH REV. SCOTT MCLEOD
English Language Institute Peer Leaders
Meet with Madeline (Xiaoxuan) Ma (EFAS Peer Leader)
Madeline is a 3B Honours Geomatics student in the Faculty of Environment and is a past graduate of our BASE program in 2018-2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Madeline interned with a couple of companies in Beijing and Shanghai related to her field of geomatics. Madeline has also been a supportive volunteer in our peer helper programs at Renison. You can always reach out to Madeline for:
- Tips for adapting to life in Canada as an international student and navigating culture shock in university.
- Helpful strategies to improve your language skills as a student whose English is not your first language.
- Advice for building your student leadership skills.
- Conversation practice and sharing what she knows about life in Canada.
REGISTER FOR A MEET-UP WITH MADELINE MA
Meet with Stephanie Chen (EFAS Peer Leader)
Stephanie is a 3B Honours Science and Business student in the Faculty of Science, who is completing a co-op work term at Renison. Stephanie’s past co-op term have been with the Faculty of Science as a Course and Technical Support Assistant and an Online Learning Assistant. Stephanie is fluent in English, Korean, and Mandarin. Some things you can discuss with Stephanie include:
- Her experience studying in a co-op program and working in Canada.
- Life in Canada and helping support students in building your English skills through conversation practice and small talk.
- Tips to adjust to the university environment and how to maintain a busy workload as a Waterloo student.
REGISTER FOR A MEET-UP WITH STEPHANIE CHEN
Meet with Jared Cubilla (EFAS Peer Leader)
Jared is a 3B Honours English – Rhetoric, Media, and Professional Communication student in the Faculty of Arts who is completing a third co-op work term as Renison this term. Jared has previously been involved with UW Quetzal, Waterloo’s student-run arts magazine, and the UW English Society as a peer mentor for their buddy program. Some things you can discuss with Jared include:
- Helpful strategies to improve your conversational and professional language skills.
- His experience volunteering and getting involved at the University of Waterloo.
- Life in Canada and supports that the University of Waterloo can provide.
- Tips to adjust to the university environment and how to maintain a busy workload as a Waterloo student
REGISTER FOR A MEET-UP WITH JARED CUBILLA
Meet with Janine Graham (Graduate Intern)
Janine completed her undergraduate degree in Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Studies at the University of Waterloo. She is now a Masters student in the Religion, Culture, and Global Justice program at Wilfrid Laurier University. She is currently completing her graduate internship with ELI in order to learn more about international students and their experiences with studying abroad. Janine is happy to talk about:
- Your experiences studying at UWaterloo and transitioning to life in Canada
- Mental health, relationships, and personal wellbeing
- Recommendations for fun things to do in Waterloo
- Anything to help with English conversation practice
REGISTER FOR A MEET-UP WITH JANINE GRAHAM
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