By Mohammed Mohyedin
Mature students at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) braved one of Toronto’s heaviest snowfalls of the season on Feb. 13 to gather and connect at the “Mature Students: Mapping Identities & Building Connections” workshop.
Organized by the university’s Tri-Mentoring Program (TMP), the workshop was the second of a four-part series designed to bring together mature students within the TMU student body.
The event was led by Aashna Halani, a mature fourth-year arts and contemporary studies student as well as TMP’s lead mentor for the Mature Students Group.
“We thought that since the school was open, it would be ideal to still provide those who would still be on campus with the safe space that they signed up for,” said Halani. “It’s not so much about attendance numbers as it is about impacting those present.”
TMU defines mature students as those who are 21 years of age or older when beginning their studies at the university.
Despite the slippery roads and long train delays, the decision to move forward with the event meant many mature students could take part in meaningful exchanges. 23-year-old Brenda Chica, a first-year accounting and finance student, was one of them.
“I actually had work at 4 p.m. and went to school early that morning to get some studying done,” she said. “So I thought I might as well attend the event to connect with other students who I could relate to before my shift.”
The “Mapping Identities” workshop is part of a broader initiative designed to support mature students throughout their academic journey. The first event of the series was a social mixer in November 2024, aimed at fostering community among mature students at the beginning of the academic year. The most recent workshop focused on building those relationships through deeper self-reflection.
February’s workshop took students through group discussions on developing their identity maps. Their personal maps started with their name as the centrepiece and included six core categories—including personal roles, cultural influences and more—of their identities surrounding it.
The interactive workshop also featured games, giveaways, food and a make-your-own mocktail station, inviting students to engage with each other as well as build connections.
The identity map activity was designed by Halani, whose goal was to have students explore their intersectional identities as well as those of others around them facing similar experiences.
“Given [the workshop took place during] a snowstorm and it was a smaller group, I think it actually worked to the event’s advantage,” she said. “People were really opening up in a vulnerable way and I think that’s harder to do in a bigger group.”
To encourage deeper reflection, Halani posed some thought-provoking questions.
“Which aspect of your identity stood out the most while creating your map? Was there something you hadn’t thought about before?” a PowerPoint slide accompanying the activity read.
For 34-year-old Abrahim Ahmad, a second-year social work student, this exercise sparked an unexpected realization.
“During the workshop, when we were going through the questions, [I realized] I never really took a look at what my roles are because that’s an interesting way [to frame] responsibilities,” said Ahmad. “People can say [they have] responsibilities with family, friends and whatnot but I never looked at it from the perspective of ‘Oh, these are my roles.’”
Ahmad said this new perspective made him “more aware” of his personal commitments and made him feel he has a “duty to fulfill.”
The series will continue with a sustainability-focused workshop in March. According to Halani, each event is set out with its own goals and a particular aim.
For Chica, she left the workshop with a newfound sense of encouragement.
“After coming to this event, it made me feel connected to other people who are also in the same situation and reminded me that I’m not alone,” she said. “It makes me want [to push forward] for other people who might be having similar doubts…to show that if I can do it, maybe other people can too.”