Black Excellence at York University (BE YU), was started in 2021 to provide spaces and opportunities for York’s Black community to learn, grow and excel together. Since its foundation, BE YU has made a significant impact on Black student life at York, regularly hosting workshops, events and peer mentoring for students.
But what is BE YU beyond this, and how can you get involved?
I sat down with the BE YU team to get better insight into the people working behind the scenes and how this program can help shape your university experience and build your academic skills.
Thank you to Awwal, Damor, Hiba, Kayla and Mouna for sharing their thoughts with us. Here is what they had to say.
How does BE YU support students at York?
BE YU focuses mainly on mentorship, workshops and community and cultural events. These events are geared towards supporting students at York.
Hiba (she/her), a fourth-year law and society major, former BE YU mentee and current student success mentor lead with BE YU was able to provide some further insights:
Hiba: We host a wide variety of events covering different topics, in terms of community (and) cultural events, and our leadership workshops kind of circle around how we can be a better leader holistically. So, whether that's leadership coaching, fostering creativity, negotiating tips for leaders, things like that, that's how we're able to support our students in becoming better leaders for their community, in the workplace, school, etc.
BE YU tries to invest in the growth and academic and professional success of students.
What are some of BE YU’s main initiatives at York?
Mouna (she/her), a fourth-year biomedical science major, also a former BE YU mentee and now a student success mentor lead on the team, talked at length about BE YU’s various initiatives at York.
Mouna: We do have mentorship, which is one of our bigger initiatives. We pair students who are either in the same program or similar faculty as our team with different mentors to support them throughout the academic year. So, having check-ins bi-weekly, seeing what they may need, inviting (them) to different events and things like that.
Other than mentorship, workshops and occasional events, BE YU also hosts a welcome event at the beginning of every academic year to provide a space for students (especially first year students) to meet each other, get academic advice and find a community to start the year off strong. BE YU places a lot of emphasis on not just academic excellence but becoming a well-rounded individual with varied experiences.
We don't just focus on the academic aspects of things, but we try to make our program as diverse as possible.
What is the most rewarding aspect to you as a BE YU member?
Kayla (she/her), a fourth-year interdisciplinary social science major and peer mentor lead with BE YU, reflected on the community she gained as a member.
Kayla: I think through BE YU we've created such a community that has been beneficial in our growth and development as we become leaders… the community is so amazing. There's never a day where you come in the office and you don't feel that communal, almost like a family-type vibe, where everyone is just so welcoming, so warm.
Mouna also had some thoughts to share on her experiences working with mentees.
Mouna: Seeing people benefiting from the resources that we provide to them on a day to day basis, or just even hearing accomplishments from our mentees… whenever I hear my mentee going through something, and then, you know, being able to figure that out, that's just honestly kind of rewarding in itself, showing me why I'm in this position.
Can you share a favourite memory or personal story from your time with BE YU that has had a lasting impact on you?
Kayla: Last year, we hosted Curls and Coils. So, we looked at Black hair and what that means to persons within the African diaspora… I feel that conversation is not necessarily spoken about, especially in academic spaces. Unless you're in maybe a Black cultures class or an African cultures class, you're not really hearing about the journey that we take when it comes to our hair. And we didn't stick with just women, we were looking at all persons within the diaspora. I am extremely proud of that work, because it really opened the door for many other discussions that we had later down the road.
Awwal (he/him), a law and society major and student success mentor, was first introduced to BE YU through a summer internship opportunity after finishing high school. He spoke fondly of the two welcome events he has participated in so far.
Awwal: My favorite memory is always the welcome event... I think there is something about that event where we see how far we've come, (both) for the program itself and where we are going. But also (we can) look at the present. You know, it's something like the past, the present and the future, but in one moment, right? That's my favorite moment with the program, and I think the memory of every welcome event will last for a lifetime with me.
What advice would you give to incoming Black students or students looking to get involved in the York community?
The BE YU team’s answer to this question was simple: Join BE YU!
Awwal: BE YU is there to help you to contribute to your potential. (It) is one of the perfect avenues that you can use to build your portfolio, whether academically or professionally. It's also there for you as a template, as a resource to achieve anything you want to achieve in life.
Mouna: Coming to BE YU, or putting yourself out there, attending our events here and there, or signing up for mentorships and coming every once in a while, can really change your view on university, resources and just having that supportive community.
Damor (he/him), a fourth-year political science major, former mentee of the BE YU program who is now a student success mentor lead with the team, stressed the importance of absorbing all the information you can while in university.
Damor: Be a sponge. Someone (when I was about to start university) told me to be a sponge and soak up opportunities… There are so many resources, so it's just a matter of tapping into (them).
Black Excellence York University is an amazing resource for the Black community to dip into at York. They try to tackle all aspects of what makes up a holistic, well-rounded individual through their workshops and initiatives. It's not just about academia, but also about you as a person and what you can do with your skill sets and your interests.
BE YU also focuses on creating a community for its members across all three campuses. They are continually working towards celebrating Black culture year-round – not just during Black History Month.
You can stay up to date with BE YU throughout Black History Month and all-year long via Instagram, or by checking out the BE YU website to see what upcoming events are scheduled on their calendar. By registering for BE YU, students will be automatically added to an eClass that will send them email reminders of all upcoming BE YU events and workshops. You can also join the eClass by emailing beyu@yorku.ca or send a direct message to the BE YU Instagram page.