We are excited to introduce the 2023-2024 Peer Faith Volunteers!
Our Peer Faith Volunteers are members of the McGill community who are available to meet with fellow students seeking support. Peer Faith Volunteers are affirming peer supporters who draw on their own life experience and training in their conversations with students.
What makes the Peer Faith Volunteer Program unique is that it embraces students from a wide variety of faith backgrounds, including those who are secular or searching. Our Volunteers are individuals who have an investment in serving those who may wish to discuss topics related to religion, faith, and spirituality in an open, nonjudgmental, and confidential space.
Support and mentoring sessions
Sessions are 1 hour in duration. Students are welcome to book meetings with a Peer Faith Volunteer regularly or just once!
All meetings take place in approved locations between 9 am and 7 pm Monday through Friday. These include on and off campus spaces, such as libraries, cafes, student centres, or the MORSL office (office option is available 9am-12pm, Mon-Fri). Support sessions will never take place in a private location, such as a university residence or apartment building. You may request a particular location or have a Volunteer to suggest one.
Booking a session
Sessions are booked via email by reaching out to an individual Peer Faith Volunteer. Students are encouraged to take a look at the PFV profiles and contact a Volunteer of their choosing via email. You can also morsl [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Scheduling%3A%20Peer%20Faith%20Volunteer%20Support%20Session%20Request%20, body: Dear%20MORSL%2C%0A%0AI%20am%20reaching%20out%20to%20request%20a%201%20hour%20Peer%20Faith%20Volunteer%20support%20session.%20I%20would%20prefer%20if%20MORSL%20selected%20a%20Peer%20Faith%20Volunteer%20for%20my%20session.%20Here%E2%80%99s%20a%20little%20more%20about%20me%3A%0A%0AName%3A%0APronouns%3A%0AOn%2FOff-Campus%20preference%3A%0AAvailability%3A%0AAdditional%20comments%20and%2For%20special%20requests%3A%0A%0ABest%2C%0A%5BYOUR%20NAME%5D%0A) (email MORSL directly) and request to get connected with a student chosen by the Office, or you can visit the MORSL office in person to book a session with the help of a MORSL employee. Directions to our office can be found here.
We ask that you omit any confidential information from all email communication to maintain privacy. Keep in mind that all communications with Volunteers may be copied to the MORSL email address. Please use your McGill email for all correspondence related to the Peer Faith Volunteer Program.
Abigail Segel
Year: U3
Hello! My name is Abigail Segel (she/her) and I'm a Religious Studies student. I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and have enjoyed being an international student in Montreal. I come from a Reform Jewish background, and attended Sunday school and summer camp growing up. In both Jewish and non-Jewish contexts, I most strongly feel a sense of spirituality in moments of deep connection to others, myself, and the earth. Indeed, having a network of fulfilling relationships is vital to my mental and emotional health; I'm interested in different ways people build and sustain such relationships. At a broader level, I have interest and experience in building multicultural communities in academic settings. I worked as a camp counselor for the past two summers, and in this role I enjoyed talking with campers experiencing social, emotional, and mental health challenges; I am excited to engage with my peers over similar topics. In my free time, I love to cook, visit food markets, travel, take walks in the park, follow soccer, watch TV, and listen to podcasts. I am so excited to get to know and support fellow McGill students as we navigate a time of immense change and growth in the world and our lives. If you’re curious about what a peer support relationship could look like for you, please reach out!
Click here to book a session with Abigail.
Benjamin Rudski
Year: 3
Hey! I’m Benjamin (you can also call me Ben; he/him). I’m a third-year PhD student in the Quantitative Life Sciences program at McGill. In my research, I follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Ezekiel, trying to make dry bones “live again”; my research focuses on understanding lifestyle based on bone structure. Before my PhD, I completed an undergraduate degree at McGill. I am originally from Montreal. My faith background is Ashkenazi Modern Orthodox Judaism. As part of my religious practice, I keep the Sabbath and Kosher dietary laws. These observances have led to interesting experiences at conferences in different cities during my time in grad school. As a student in the sciences, I have also encountered individuals with different perspectives on religion. When I am not in the lab, I like to go hiking and to explore Montreal. I am also a big fan of sit-coms (especially those with some Jewish content). In my role as a Peer Faith Volunteer, I am looking forward to learning more about people from diverse backgrounds and faith traditions. I am hoping to hear how different people approach their balance between religious practice and secular education. Hoping to talk soon!
Click here to book a session with Benjamin.
Wutao (Phil) Hong
Year: U3
Hi! My name is Wutao, and I am pursuing my Bachelor of Theology degree here at McGill. I am an international student from China; before moving to Montreal, I lived in China, the US, and Australia. I am a newly converted Christian and part of the Chinese evangelical and Anglican community. I am churchgoing and often engage in and organize various spiritual and religious activities, such as bible studies, religion trivia, and inter-faith discussions. In my leisure, I like to read books, especially the Bible and theological literature, sing and listen to worship music, attend concerts, go cycling and hiking, and explore sundry religious sites. I am also interested in learning modern and classical languages, and Biblical Hebrew is my favorite. As a theology student and an avid explorer of world religions, I am familiar with spirituality and various faith traditions; and I am enthusiastic to talk to new people and listen to their spiritual stories. No matter your cultural/religious/racial/sexual identities, I hope to support and develop mutual spiritual growth with you! Come and say hi!
Click here to book a session with Phil.
Julielee Stitt
Program: Bachelor of Theology
Year: U3
Hi there! My name is Julielee. I am a theology student at McGill.
Prior to moving to Montreal in Fall 2022, I was a communications officer. And before that, a journalist. Life, work and study have taken me across Canada, and I’ve had the opportunity to live in Halifax, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Kingston. My life has not gone exactly according to plan. (Can you relate?) Over the years, I have come to find tremendous wisdom, comfort, and joy in my faith and relationship with God. I grew up in a secular environment, and spirituality is not something I talked about openly in the past. In recent years, I’ve come to learn the value of being able to speak about faith and understand the importance of community. Some Sundays, you might even spot me leading worship at a Presbyterian Church. If you’re someone who would like to talk about life, faith, spirituality, it would be great to meet you! And if you’re not sure exactly what you want to talk about, I’m here for that too. When I’m not hunched over a book or article of some sort, I enjoy running with a podcast, visiting different churches, spending time with friends, and watching excellent television.
Click here to book a session with Julielee.
Noor Ahmed
Program: Philosophy and International Development
Year: U3
Hey there! My name is Noorunnahar. You can call me Noor. As of now, I’m a third-year student majoring in philosophy and international development, while minoring in South Asian studies. I’m born and raised in Montreal. So, I completed my DEC at Dawson College under the Law, Society and Justice program. I would describe myself as a practical yet creative person with a positive outlook. I love talking and listening to people because it broadens my perspective. Spirituality, academics, mental health, social justice, and intersectional feminism, to name a few, are topics that greatly matter to me. In my free time, I enjoy going to the gym, practicing martial arts, reading, writing, listening to music, learning different languages, and driving or going outdoors. Feel free to talk to me if you want to explore Sufism (Islamic mysticism), incorporating meditation or mindfulness in your daily routine or navigating family and university life. On a lighter note, If you want to just talk about fashion, anime, kdrama, Bollywood , UK rap or 90s sitcom and 80s pop, I would be more than happy to. I would love to listen to your point of view on any topic. I can talk about anything and everything. Feel free to reach out!
Click here to book a session with Noor.
