“I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to work with Alyssa. Her constant support and guidance increased my confidence which, in turn, allowed me to show up as my authentic self. As a queer student athlete there are times where it felt that change was difficult to actualize. Her belief in me reaffirmed my values and was the encouragement I needed to continue pursuing my aims. She takes an empathetic approach to her work and always considered my positionality as a student, an athlete, and an EDI advocate in the Ath and Rec department. She recognizes that there is strength in bringing a wide range of voices to the table and makes space for everyone to be heard. Alyssa creates a welcoming environment that provides space for community to grow and meaningful change to happen. I continue to draw on the Alyssa’s leadership as an example as I continue on my academic and athletic journey.”

“Working with Alyssa through the Indigenous Student Athlete Council was a wonderful experience. She consistently showed genuine care and interest in our experiences as student athletes, both in and out of sport. Alyssa was also open in sharing her own experiences and knowledge, truly collaborating with us as students. I really appreciated how Alyssa worked alongside us to navigate institutional barriers while always keeping student needs at the center.”

“As a young Black leader, Alyssa taught me how to lead with care and love. She showed me that leading with care and love isn’t compromising your respect, or compromising yourself — it’s the right thing to do for your future.

She taught me that you can have standards and still act with kindness. You can push with kindness, push with care, and still achieve the outcome you’re hoping for. You don’t have to be all ‘raw, raw, raw, raw’ to make it happen.”

“It was a pleasure working with Alyssa through the Indigenous Student-Athlete Council, especially as founding members. Alyssa brought a thoughtful and collaborative approach to supporting Indigenous student-athletes, creating space for meaningful conversations around wellbeing, identity, and life beyond sport. As I now pursue a career in medicine, I continue to carry forward many of the lessons and perspectives gained through my ISAC experience. I appreciated Alyssa’s adaptability in navigating institutional barriers and her willingness to work alongside us to create opportunities that reflected the needs, strengths, and experiences of our community.”

“Alyssa’s mentorship was a meaningful part of my journey in McMaster’s Athletics and Recreation department. She helped me build a clear plan toward a valuable internship experience and brought me into every room — athletes, teams, councils, coaches, trainings. She helped me find my footing, show up with confidence, and ultimately supported me in pursuing graduate studies in Sport Management at Brock University.”

“Alyssa mentored me during her time at York University and provided amazing support for my athletics, academics, and career goals. With Alyssa’s words of encouragement, she affirmed my potential to be a leader in the BIPOC community. Additionally, her commitment to helping me through uncertainty allowed me to take a new perspective and encouraged my confidence.

She is an extremely welcoming individual, with experience to help others through difficult times. Alyssa’s understanding was unmatched and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to be mentored by her!”

“Alyssa has played an incredible role in supporting my academic/career pursuits by helping me achieve my academic goals and success. Alyssa has had the answer to every question I have ever asked her when it came to school but that's not what makes her special. Alyssa played a positive mentorship role to myself and many other student athletes outside of the sport which is hard to find sometimes. Alyssa truly cared for my academic and career path success when she worked at York. Alyssa believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. I could be scared and call her about an academic issue, and she would keep it real with me but at the same time uplift me with the positive reinforcement knowing I could achieve my goal and overcome the issue. Alyssa was the first person I messaged when I passed my hardest class in my time at York.”

“[What worked well was having] the perspective of a career professional that was once in [a Recreation & Wellness student-staff’s] shoes, and the impacts we can have on our community and members through their roles within the department. Overall, the presentation was fantastic and I would work with Alyssa again.”