Meet our Early Support Team

Ashley De Vera Macayan

Student Support Specialist (away between Sept 28th-Oct 12th)

Hi everyone! My name is Ashley DVM (she/they), I have a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Psychology. Through my University experience, I learned about the complexities of life and how nothing fits perfectly into neat boxes - and that's okay. It's about being curious, having an open mind, and being willing to explore what we don't know. It's about sitting in that discomfort and seeing what we can learn from that experience and then applying it in our lives. What I really enjoyed and found fulfilling is going through these experiences with others, and being a student is an environment and space where all this happens.

What I think is really interesting about education in general is that it should ideally be the perfect place to fail, to be able to take risks safely and then be able to learn and grow from them. With how complicated life is though, sometimes that margin of error to be able to take risks safely is a lot smaller or non-existent for some. For myself, post-secondary education was my only option to be able to support my family so I wasn’t allowed to “fail” or have “set-backs”, but being held to that standard is exhausting. In my approach to student support I aim to be able to take into account as many of the unique factors that have led you to this point while also supporting you in navigating and identifying the larger structures and systems in place that may affect your ability to move within the world that is University. I hope to be able to provide you support where you feel heard, understood and that you have someone cheering you on behind the scenes.

I come from Distress Centre Calgary as the Senior Youth Program Coordinator for the ConnecTeen program where I supported youth in their volunteer journey. Part of this work was learning crisis intervention skills and teaching youth how to apply these skills on the lines while finding a balance between integrating polices, procedures and crisis models with an approach that is unique to them. I also focused on builing a community of care and connection within the agency through volunteer events and on going developmental trainings with a focus on creating an environment where volunteers feel comfortable creating meaningful relationships with each other. On a personal level, I take pride in understanding the intersections of my identity as an eldest daughter from an immigrant family who was raised by a single mother. These experiences have shaped how I understand family, responsibility, culture, and belonging within our society. At the same time, I am continually learning more about myself, including exploring my queer identity, prioritizing my mental health and personal growth while learning how to give myself grace and understanding as I continue to stumble through life. Outside of work I am a Pokemon fanatic, I tend to be a workaholic but when a new game releases you bet I will submit a request to take a 2-week vacation just to play. I also do my best to prioritize experiencing life with my 3 dogs, 2 birds, partner, family of origin and chosen family. If you want to talk about all the ups and downs of student life, or if anything in my bio resonates with you - I'm happy to be your person. I look forward to connecting and building a student support plan with you ~ 

 

Jessica Williams

Student Support Specialist 

Msit no’kmaq (all my relations), my name is Jessica Williams (she/her) and I was born in Calgary, Alberta on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kanai, Piikani). I am Indigenous by my father who was born on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq Peoples in Newfoundland.  I am also Jewish by my mother who is an immigrant from England where my maternal family settled after fleeing Poland during WWII.  I carry this deep understanding of displacement and complexity of identity and belonging into all my work. I am a relationships person, and not only in the context of those that I interact with on a daily basis, but also, the structures, systems and communities of our social world and Mother Earth. I am passionate about supporting students who face barriers in meeting their educational goals and dreams and recognize the importance of valuing all kinds of relationships so we can collectively find success.

I have a foundational diploma in Child and Youth Care Counselling form Douglas College and graduated from UofC with a degree in Sociology, specializing in Criminology, Deviance and Social Control and minoring in Gender and Sexuality Studies. I am proudly coming to Mount Royal University as your newest Student Support Specialist with 15 years of experience working in the not-for-profit sector specializing in trauma-informed support, complex mental health, homelessness and housing issues, addiction and young adult development.  My professional style utilizes a holistic, student-centered, culturally responsive and strengths-based approach that is non-judgmental and bias free. This is a guarantee from me to you.  I can promise you that when you come into my office and you need to get something off your chest but fear shame, guilt and judgment, you will receive none from me, and I have most likely either lived it myself, or have supported someone going through the same thing as you.    

Some fun tid-bits and facts about me… I am 6 feet tall, love to wear 4-inch-high heels, but yet, I am totally afraid of heights! I am a fur mom to a Labradoodle named, Molly, and two cats named, Loki and Finnigan.  I am working on getting my cat Finnigan Tik Tok famous because I am obsessed with the “orange and jobless” trend.  I am also a mom to two teenage humans (a girl and a boy) who are in their last and first year of high school, respectively.  Mother Earth is one of my closest friends and I have over 20 different kinds of plants in my apartment—my office will eventually be the same way one day and I am really excited to have a new space to grow a new plant collection.  During the cold and dark winters, if you need to connect with nature and be in the presence of something earthly green, my office is where it is at.  Lastly, I am a known advocate for queer, gender and social justice politics and I am committed to breaking down stigma while providing fact-based education and solutions on complex mental health and addiction.