Applications are now open for the next cohort of the Deborah Rosati Women in Leadership Mentorship Program, part of Brock University’s Women in Leadership Initiative.

Any self-identifying woman with a Niagara or Brock affiliation who wants to build their professional network and improve leadership skills is invited to apply to be a mentor or mentee on the program website by Sunday, Dec. 15.

Caroline Hummell, PhD candidate in Brock’s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences and mentorship program co-ordinator, says 60 mentors and mentees have completed the program since it launched in 2023 after a generous donation from Deborah Rosati (BAdmin ’84) in 2022.

“It has been great to have such a good response because it shows that women within our community want this type of program,” says Hummell.

While the basic structure remains, with group events, guest speakers and one-on-one meetings scheduled at the convenience of mentor/mentee pairs, Hummell says feedback from previous cohorts has led to some new innovations this time around.

“This year’s improvements include the development of an alumni network to connect past and present participants, as well as the adoption of a more user-friendly platform to help participants build even more connections outside of their immediate matches,” she says. “We want this program to truly turn into a community through the mentorship within it.”

Khatija Qureshi, a mentee in the most recent cohort of the program, says the program “perfectly blended” the sort of networking and learning opportunity she was seeking, both personally and professionally, after moving to Niagara from the Toronto area and changing career paths.

“I would encourage any and everyone to be a part of it — either as a mentor, sharing their experiences, or as a mentee, who wants to learn,” says Qureshi. “The program was very manageable, and I loved the methodical structure of setting boundaries and expectations, yet giving flexibility and control to the mentor and mentee so that it works for both of them.”

Dean of Social Sciences Ingrid Makus has been thrilled to watch the program blossom.

“Community and mutual support was one of the founding values of the Women In Leadership Initiative, so it is enormously gratifying to see the ongoing successes of this mentorship program, and the continuing role of our initiative in supporting it,” she says.

Hummell is excited to see what the next cohort brings, and says none of it would be possible without Rosati’s ongoing commitment to women leaders in Niagara.

“This program would not be possible without the invaluable support and mentorship of Deborah,” she says. “Not only does she come to program sessions to interact with participants and share her inspiring leadership journey, she also stays connected with them outside of the program.”

Rosati says her intention across her work, including her Women Get on Board program, is to “inspire, elevate, support, encourage and motivate women in leadership.”

“My mission is to pay it forward and pave the way for other women to grow into their full potential as leaders in the communities they serve,” she says. “My support is not only to enable and motivate the next generation of women leaders at Brock but also to encourage other existing women leaders to invest in the future of the next generation.”