A UBC alum has launched a mentorship organization aiming to empower young women.
In September 2021, Leena Parhar launched She Connects alongside Emily Haugen, Avneet Sandhu and Meghan Dunn.
“Our aim is to foster relationships by connecting women with each other and helping them uplift and support each other,” said Parhar, who graduated from UBC in 2021 with a bachelor of arts in political science.
As a first-generation Canadian, Parhar didn't have a support system when she started university. She is also a first-generation university student, which made her first year at UBC more challenging.
Being involved with the Arts Undergraduate Society and UBC Sororities established Parhar’s love for leadership. This along with her lived experience as a woman of colour was a driving force that inspired her to co-found She Connects.
Parhar, Haugen, Sandhu and Dunn met in 2019 at Daughters of the Vote. Daughters of the Vote is a parliament simulation event in Ottawa that allows young women from across Canada to represent their federal riding in the House of Commons.
After Daughters of the Vote, the group of women from the Lower Mainland received the Rosemary Speirs Leadership grant that helped them launch She Connects.
“We really wanted to start this organization so that we could act like a big sister or older role model to younger girls,” said Parhar.
She Connects strives to foster mentee-mentor relationships with an emphasis on mental health and community building. Mentees are high school aged and mentors are young professionals in their early to mid-20s.
“We try to have women of colour represented throughout our mentors, mentees and board of directors,” said Parhar. “We definitely encourage people from all different backgrounds to apply.”
Shifting from an in-person to a fully remote and online mentorship program has been the major change to the She Connects model due to COVID-19. The mentors and mentees meet on Zoom and use messaging platforms to stay connected. She Connects opens applications on their website and social media for mentors every September, but is looking for mentors and mentees throughout the year.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, She Connects has not been able to present their organizations to students in high school — the mentee demographic.
“We have plenty of mentors who are willing to guide younger women,” said Parhar. “Our biggest struggle has been reaching out to schools… because school is online.”
Since its launch in September 2021, the She Connects team has celebrated big wins, such as having a virtual launch and incorporating as a non-profit organization and receiving the John Gibbard Award from the United Nations Association in Canada Vancouver Branch.
Parhar is excited to see where She Connects goes in the future and is looking forward to gaining new mentees.
“I didn't really have the knowledge,” said Parhar. “I didn't have a sense of community because I didn't know anyone from my high school [at UBC], so I felt like it would have been nice to have a little bit of direction.”
You can learn more about She Connects through its website, Facebook page and Instagram account.