Grad Minds Executive Meeting #12

Online via Zoom

Monday, March 7th, 2022

Attendees:
Jeffrey Lynham Co-Chair
Curtis D’Hollander Co-Chair
Mao Thao Secretary & Conference Coordinator
Samantha Chang Event Coordinator
Katie Rose Mental Health Policy Advisor
Walter Villanueva Event Coordinator
Vineeth Raveendran Social Media and Marketing Manager
Abiraa Karalasingam Event Coordinator
Felix Lau Mental Health Policy Advisor
Sophia Zhong Event Coordinator

Regrets:
Audrey Kao Peer Support Lead
Allison Correia Advocacy Coordinator
Shraddha Khiwadkar Communications Manager
Elizabeth Karvasarski Treasurer
Sarah Stapleton Event Coordinator
Alison D’Cruz Share Circle Facilitator

Actionable for Next Meeting

• Teresa’s Honorarium - Donation
• Teresa would like to donate her $100 honorarium to the Convent House
• Elizabeth will donate $100 to Convent House on behalf of Teresa
• Mao will inform Teresa that this had been done after receiving an email
confirmation from Elizabeth
• Amy’s Honorarium - Door Prizes
• Amy would like her $100 honorarium to go to graduate students in the form
of door prizes

 • Four gift cards of $25 will be given out after the March and April workshop
• Christine Lummis (March 16)
• Jessica Tabak (April 13)
• Only current U of T graduate students who attend one of the workshops
AND fill out the feedback form can win a $25 gift card. Student will receive
the gift card after the event has ended.
• Vineeth will advertise that UTGSU students can win a gift card of $25 if
they attend the March or April workshop and fill out the feedback form
• Blurb: Dr. Amy Clements-Cortes has graciously donated her $100
honorarium to graduate students! Join Grad Minds at our March
workshop with Christine Lummis or April workshop with Jessica
Tabak to win one of four $25 gift cards!
• Vivian’s Honorarium - Gift Card to Indigo
• Elizabeth will purchase $100 gift card to Indigo
• Mao will send Vivian the gift card and receipt documentation afterwards
• Jeffrey will upload all the event write up onto the Grad Minds website
• Mao will send out thank you email to Nazbah Tom
• Walter will ask Christine Lummis for an invoice
• Jeffrey will check in with Audrey about the cookie budget for the Study Break at
the Distillery District event
• Sophia and Abiraa will connect with Alison D’Cruz about potentially supporting
her on the Coffee Chat event
• Event Coordinators (Sarah, Walter, Abiraa & Sophia) will meet to plan a in-
person or online social event
• Felix will send updated Policy/Advocacy information to Jeffrey
• Everyone - if you need any additional funding, SGS fund is currently open

Meeting will be called to order at 5:30pm.

1. Meeting Comes to Order at 5:34 pm

a. Adoption of agenda
b. Minutes from February 7th, 2022 Meeting

2. Project/Event Updates
a. Conference
i. 5 ways to wellbeing (Curtis & Teresa)
1. 6 participants

 2.Gift card honorarium will be donated to the Covenant

House - Elizabeth confirmed that this will be done by the
end of this week
3. After Elizabeth donates the money then Mao will notify
Teresa
ii. Games night (Sarah & Curtis)
1. 6 participants
2. Low turnout but had fun playing games together
iii. Music, imagery, and relaxation journey (Mao & Amy)
1. 5 participants
2. Amy wants her honorarium donated as door prizes to other
events
3. Potentially give out four gift cards of $25 on behalf of Amy
for future workshops
a. Christine Lummis (March 16)
b. Jessica Tabak (April 13)
c. Vineeth will advertise the events with gift cards
which are given to us on behalf of Amy Clements-
Cortes
d. Mao will send Vineeth information about this via
Slack
iv. Dr. ABC (Curtis & Mao)
1. 25 out of 35 participants
2. Great speaker
3. Potential guest speaker for future events
v. Community chat (Alison, Sophia, Abriaa & Mao)
1. 15 participants
2. Participants were active and speakers were great
vi. Guide to filling your cup and building meaningful connections (&
Vivian gift card)
1. Video was on the Grad Minds workshop for one week
2. Vivian’s gift card will sent out to her at the end of this week
vii. Feedback Form
1. Only one person gave feedback but it was 100% good
2. Need more feedback - use the gift cards from Amy
viii. Thank you Mao and Sam for the success of the conference!
ix. Jeffrey will upload all the event write up onto the website
b. Workshops
i. Mind, Body, Spirit: Learning Beyond the classroom review (Mao)
1. 11 participants

 2. Participants asked a lot of insightful questions

3. Mao will send out thank you email
ii. Exploration of the use of art to support self-care preview (Walter)
1. Ask Christine for the invoice
2. Slight chance that Christine may not be able to this
workshop because she’s on call as an emergency
responder
c. Kickboxing (Elizabeth)
i. 6 regular participants
d. Peer Support Initiative
i. Study Break at the Distillery District
1. Free cookies - Jeffrey will confirm this with Audrey because
we have to be conscious of our budget
e. Coffee Chat
i. One more before the semester ends
ii. Jeffrey asked if Sophia and Abiraa can connect with Alison to help
support her on this last event
f. Other projects/events?
i. Cody’s Workshop
1. Might be canceled because Cody hasn’t responded to
emails
ii. Social Event
1. Event Coordinators meet to plan a social in person or online
event - Sarah, Walter, Abiraa, and Sophia

3. Policy/Advocacy
a. Updates (Felix & Katie)
i. Low turnout for office hours
ii. Good amount of results from survey are back and will be analyzed
and presented at next meeting
iii. Mental Health Policy Initiative at Munk - informative meeting and will
potentially reach out to initiative
iv. Felix will send updates to Jeffrey to put on the website

4. Finance
a. Budget (Elizabeth)
i. Currently have spent $4219
ii. Jeffrey will check in with Audrey about the cookie budget
iii. May only have $100 left from the budget

 5. Any other business

a. Interested in seeing where students are currently spending their insurance
money - Curtis and Felix
b. SGS Fund - if we need any funding and have any ideas for funds
c. Mao will send Vineeth information about Amy Clements-Cortes’ gift card
i. Get the gift card if you attend and do the feedback form

6. Adjournment at 6:20 pm

—
Mao Thao
Secretary & Conference Coordinator