Building post-secondary support

Tinotenda Mashavave chuckles when he thinks about his first winter in Winnipeg.

“The shock on my face with how cold this place is was unbelievable,” he said. “(Someone) should have told me what it was going to be like.”

Mashavave moved to Manitoba from Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, in 2016 to study business administration at the University of Winnipeg. Today, he has a job as a sales representative at Western Financial Group, but the path that led him there had obstacles.

Navigating finances, learning how to network with professionals and finding a job after graduation can be challenging for anyone, but for newcomers like Mashavave, it’s especially difficult.

“It was eye-opening,” the 27-year-old said. “A good thing for me is I always had help from people around me who had already gone through the process.”

Mashavave’s experience motivated him to get involved as an adviser with Student Catalyst Gateway, a new not-for-profit enterprise in Winnipeg dedicated to equipping post-secondary students — especially those who are Indigenous, racialized and newcomers.

Founded by Avelia Stewart, the enterprise aims to bridge the gap between education and meaningful employment through online teaching modules, one-on-one coaching and other supports.

Originally from Siparia, a town in southern Trinidad, Stewart created Student Catalyst Gateway because of her own experiences as an international student in the United States and Canada.

“I saw firsthand how the system that was in place wasn’t providing that robust support for persons from equity-deserving backgrounds,” said Stewart, 52.

Stewart is launching the enterprise this afternoon at the Alt Hotel (310 Donald St.) in Winnipeg. The event, which starts at 3 p.m., will include keynote addresses, guest speakers, live music and the chance to connect with other professionals.

The organization’s online modules cover topics such as leadership insights, professional communication and workplace etiquette, LinkedIn and personal branding, mental health and career longevity. Each module is one hour long.

The organization also offers one-on-one career coaching, interview coaching and immigration support. Counselling support is also available from a licensed clinical social worker.

According to Stewart, the cost for users will be $9.99 a month per module. Career coaching will cost $39.99, with counselling support available for $99 per session.

“It is a non-profit, so we are looking for funding,” Stewart said. “If we get funding from the government and other organizations, those prices will be way more reduced and way more affordable for students.”

Stewart has bootstrapped Student Catalyst Gateway so far, investing around $10,000.

Five professionals from across Canada are serving as an advisory group to the organization, offering Stewart feedback and helping to shape its offerings.

Suni Matthews co-chairs the Newcomer Education Coalition. She said an organization like Student Catalyst Gateway is important because it helps racialized students to navigate the complexities within the university system.

“Representation matters, so if you’re dealing with people who look like you or have had the same kind of experience, it really makes it a much more comfortable situation,” Matthews said.

Stewart said she’s thought about the business “in various forms” for a decade and registered the business in 2024.

She got Student Catalyst Gateway up and running earlier this year, after she was let go from her job as director of social impact and internal communications at Western Financial Group due to company restructuring.

She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and has pursued MBA-level coursework at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Stewart is a dual-certified human resources professional and her career has included stints at General Electric and Google.

In promotional material for Student Catalyst Gateway, Stewart writes that across every role, her north star has been breaking down systemic barriers and creating pathways for others to rise.

Stewart will tell her story during a keynote presentation at today’s launch.

“It’s really a blend of my personal journey and how I’ve used that journey to impact others who are now on that journey,” she said.

About 50 to 80 people are expected to attend the event.

Student Catalyst Gateway is starting in Winnipeg, but Stewart said she intends for the organization to eventually serve equity-deserving students throughout Canada.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca