The Pearson Family Student-Athlete Mentor (SAM) Program
What We Do
- The SAM program is a resource for all student-athletes to help them succeed academically.
- First-year student-athletes select a mentor and meet with them every week, study in the SAM room for at least 3 hours per week, and attend workshops.
- We provide a supportive study space monitored by mentors for student-athletes to get their work done and ask for help, as well as workshops to help you succeed as students, athletes, and personally.
Where We Do It
SAM runs from Monday to Thursday:
From 12:00 – 4:00 pm in room 3203 in the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre
From 4:00 – 10:00 pm in room 370 in the library
From 6:00 – 10:00 pm in rooms 300A and 360 in the library
SAM runs on Sunday (in the fall only) from 4:00 – 6:00pm in rooms 300A, 360, and 370 in the library
Mentor schedules and academic resources can be found on the page.
Resources:
Download a copy of the
SAM Toolkit (PDF)
Visit the SAM
YouTube page
Email:
mentors@uoguelph.ca
Instagram:
@gryphonsam
Courselink
Library Webpage
Who We Are
Mentors are upper-year student-athletes who are empathetic, open-minded, and knowledgeable about campus resources. They are trained in academic skills by the library and in peer counselling by Student Wellness.
What Student-Athletes Say About SAM:
"It's amazing being able to talk to my mentor about any personal, academic, or athletic problems I've faced. I was always guided and given the best advice"
"My mentor has been incredibly helpful to me. He is very kind and easy to talk to without ever being judgmental or condescending. He treats me like capable adult and just creates an open space for me to share. He has made me feel empowered and supported when I was having problems with my coach and gave me some very helpful advice. He has even made me want to join the SAM program."
"Being required to attend SAM hours has definitely helped me to focus more on my studies even when in season with my sport. Without it I would be much less likely to ask for help and it helps me get a lot of work done in a healthy environment."
"Having so little time to focus on academics because of athletics and other significant things going on in my life, being in SAM allowed me to focus and get things done during the hours we needed to attend. Having mentors and people around who all share the same goals and classes allows for it to be easier and beneficial."
"Throughout my whole SAM experience, I have been able to attend workshops and talk to people within my program or in courses that I want to take and how to go about it... this has helped me feel more confident in asking questions and sharing with my mentor or classmates."
"It is helpful to talk about all the assignments and exams you have coming up because mentors help you to de-stress and find a sufficient way to create a study plan or at least organize yourself in moving forward so that you do not feel as overwhelmed."
