Campus News, Uncategorized
Getting Through Life Challenges with MaKami’s Newest Campus Support
Jan
College can be wonderful, but life can make it challenging for students to be at their best.
When students start college, they still need to juggle other parts of their lives. A student may lose the job that was providing them with income during school. Another student’s child may have a health condition, and they need to take a break from school while they treat it. Both situations would make it difficult to focus on school, and this is where campus support can help.
While MaKami College provides free academic support and counselling services, social strategists is the newest support service available.
Social Student Support Services Available
Our college social strategists are campus support ready to help with wellness services like:
- Empathetic and supportive listening
- Wellness strategies, like coping techniques and conflict resolution skills
- Brainstorming for solutions-focused plans
- Connections to government or community programs or external social services
- Guidance to college departments or services
Meet Stephanie Urquhart, Social Strategist
As the social strategist in Calgary, Stephanie Urquhart has a background in education, psychology and social welfare.
“I meet with students when their life situations get difficult,” says Urquhart. She helps by offering an empathetic ear, providing connections to campus support services and Alberta programs and helping them work on a solution.
Students with financial difficulties, medical issues or other urgent life situations are encouraged to contact the social strategist.
“This role is different from counselling,” explains Urquhart. “Social strategy focuses on immediate needs, brief emotional support and wellness strategies.”
For example, maybe a student is overwhelmed with caregiving for their child and aging parent.
“I could help brainstorm ideas to lessen the workload at home, provide coping strategies to be more present, look into community programs for caregivers or research government programs to help with medication costs.”
The student support this role offers is growing, with more ways to help students coming in 2026.
“Look out for workshops on stress management, creating self-care/coping plans, conflict resolution and self-advocacy skills!”
Everyone encounters obstacles, but having support helps people get through it.
“We can all do tough things and cope through difficult moments, but none of us have to do it alone. Roles like the social strategist can bring in that connection piece and give us somewhere to start when everything feels like too much.”
MaKami’s growing campus support is something every student can access and benefit from. These services are offered because support is an essential part of how our students succeed.
“Education has the amazing ability to change lives and create opportunity, but it cannot do so without supports for the socio-economic pieces of our lives,” says Urquhart.
Talk to your campus’s social strategist by emailing SALT administrative staff on your campus or contacting [email protected] or [email protected].
