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With decades of working experience in schools, consulting, and higher education, alumnus Dr. Peter Liu returned to Canada in 2014 looking to help with OISE’s growth and development.

So, when he was pointed to the OISE Mentorship Program, he gladly began as a mentor – and that work opened more leadership opportunities with the program itself. “I realized the importance of mentoring as an opportunity for individuals who are in their formative years to be able to learn about the career world, the world of jobs,” said Dr. Liu, the mentorship program chair.

Volunteering has formed a crucial part of the retired school psychologist’s life, an idea reinforced while finishing studies at Harvard in 2007.

So, after 10 years with the OISE Mentorship Program, Dr. Liu is taking it further.

has donated a substantial gift to the OISE Mentorship Program. The gift, which creates the OISE Mentorship Award, solidifies the program’s ability to connect students, alumni and the larger alumni community.

“We are grateful to Peter for making this substantial gift for our mentorship program,” said Sim Kapoor, director of OISE’s Office of Advancement, Communications, and External Relations. “Working with Peter over this decade has shown me his dedication to giving our mentors and mentees direction and structure, and that has made for a more inviting, fervent environment where the program has thrived.”

“I can’t wait to see how his substantial gift has an impact on the outcomes of our participants.”

How Peter’s gift will make an impact

Since 2015, the OISE Mentorship Program has helped over 3,000 participants find an inclusive OISE community – and build professional networks as well as lasting friendships, says Natalie Neumann Butler, OISE’s Senior Alumni Programs and Donor Relations Officer.

“Dr. Liu’s generous gift will ensure meaningful professional development and career opportunities for both the participants of this program and the tireless volunteer committee that has been active under his thoughtful leadership for ten years,” she says.

Dr. Liu, Neumann Butler adds, will aim to collaborate with institutions across North America, and she believes his vision will help launch the mentorship program “into the stratosphere” in terms of new partnerships and global opportunities. “At OISE, we know that mentors are the backbone of a strong education community,” she says. “That’s why it’s so important to recognize our esteemed alumni volunteers – who are doing so much between busy careers and family life to support our up-and-coming professionals.”

The OISE Mentorship Award, Neumann Butler says, will have a direct impact on graduate student success by encouraging mentor involvement and enabling new program features that meet the needs and interests of students across different fields and career stages.

“Many thanks to Dr. Liu and the OISE Mentorship Award. There is no doubt in my mind that this program will reach new heights in terms of mentorship initiatives at the University of Toronto.”

Over his decade with the program, Liu has seen real fundamental change with the program. Working with a cadre of volunteers, the program has installed an organizational structure, and created opportunities for individuals to do volunteer work in being coaches for mentors – that is, helping them be better mentors. 

“We're doing a vast array of professional development programs. But of course, we have to also encourage the volunteers who are actually providing the programs,” he said. “We have to provide them with their own kind of professional development.

“Part of the contribution I'm making is hopefully in that way – to facilitate professional development for our volunteers.”

Fostering growth, support and giving thanks

Apart from facilitating a burgeoning mentorship program, one of the largest at the University of Toronto, Dr. Liu’s intangibles have made the program an inviting one that fosters growth and support.

One of those intangibles is his around-the-clock effort and care. “I'm very conscious of the amount of time I spend on the program, but I think my interest [in the program] has become deeper in the sense that I'm more concerned about people's wellbeing – how they get something out of their volunteer experience,” he says. “As volunteers, they come from all sorts of backgrounds. Many of our volunteers are retirees themselves, and we have to ensure that they are able to build the experience in some fashion into their lives.”

Neumann Butler admires that thoughtful, strategic approach to the program. “Working with Peter means you are in the company of someone who cares deeply about people – and he uses his sharp mind to help steer you to success, whether you’re a member of his dynamic committee, a mentor, a mentee or someone who’s curious about being more involved,” she says.

Watching Dr. Liu build an organization of alumni and student volunteers who return year after year has been inspiring, she adds. “Through phone check-ins and an annual luncheon, Peter provides a strong vision for his committee while enabling members to take ownership of their projects and identify and use their skills.

“It has been a true pleasure working with Peter to bring a decade of mentorship to OISE’s passionate students and gravity defying alumni in all areas of education.”

So, for Dr. Liu, the work continues – and the program has had a deep impact on himself.

“It has changed my life in a certain way. I think it's given me a certain amount of structure, because I too am retired, and I think it's one part of my life where I am considering how I want to be involved in the years to come,” he says.

For Dr. Liu, volunteers can be involved in many different ways. “You can give your time, give resources, or you can give a donation of some sort. And all those kinds of contributions can interplay to make a mark,” he says.

“For me, it’s one part of my life but I try to balance it with my travels and my other commitments. And it all seems to have been worked out quite well.”