Jump Start Team
Meet the 2010 Team
The Core Team
Bonita Perko comes to the team, having recently spent time working with the Office of Student Development since 2007. With an interest in Student Affairs, she spent her time shaping Orientation and Transition programming for new students and their families in addition to co-advising the student planning committee for the Student Leadership Conference. Prior to her work with Student Development, Bonita was a Residence Coordinator in Totem Park from 2005-2007. An Ontario native, Bonita completed her degree at the University of Guelph, studying Psychology and History. Her time at UBC has been filled with great opportunities, challenges and interactions with fantastic students and she’s excited to join the rest of the team in International Student Development, as the UBC Jump Start Coordinator. Bonita can be reached at bonita.perko@ubc.ca & 604-827-4772.
Caroline Rueckert is the UBC Jump Start Manager and an International Student Advisor. She has a BA Honours degree in English and German from the University of Victoria, an MA of Post-Colonial Studies from the University of Leeds, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. She is also currently completing her PhD in international education and co-authored The Study Abroad Handbook, published by Palgrave Macmillan. Having lived and worked across three continents, Caroline is committed to fostering inclusive and respectful learning spaces, and is passionate about the value of peer-to-peer learning.
Elise Goodreault is the Residence Life Coordinator for UBC Jump Start 2010. She graduated from the Faculty of Arts majoring in International Relations with a minor in Economics. Recently she completed an internship as a Residence Coordinator in Place Vanier with Student Housing and Hospitality Services. During her third year she travelled to France to study at Sciences Po, an institution with a focus on political science. As an undergraduate she spent time working on the Journal of International Affairs through the International Relations Student Association, while also playing volleyball in her spare time. Elise hails from Northern California and is famous for her chocolate chip cookies. Elise can be reached at jumpstart.rezlife@ubc.ca.
Syahidah Ismail (Syah) is entering her final year of a Psychology and Women and Gender Studies double major in the Faculty of Arts. Syahidah was born in Singapore, growing up in Japan, Singapore and Dubai. Syahidah has been involved in several different capacities on campus including the UBC Learning Exchange Trek Program, The Vice President Students’ Emerging Leaders Program, the Singapore Students’ Association at UBC, the International Peer Program and UBC Orientations. She has been involved with UBC Jump Start since 2007 in several different positions including participant, Residence Assistant, Administrative Assistant, Core Volunteer and this summer, as the Assistant Student Coordinator, working on the Residence Life portfolio. Syah can be reached at jumpstart.rezlife@ubc.ca.
Vanessa Chase is the Administrative and Communications Assistant for UBC Jump Start 2010. She will graduate this summer from the Faculty of Arts, specializing in English Literature and Visual Arts, and is a UBC Jump Start Alum having gone through the program in 2006, when it was known as ASSIST. In her final two years at UBC, she worked as Student Coordinator for the International Peer Advisor Program which provides advising assistance and workshops for international students. She is an active volunteer with Girl Guides of Canada as a Unit Guider. Originally from Wilton, California, Vanessa enjoys exploring Vancouver and taking advantage of its culinary offerings. Vanessa can be reached at jumpstart.admin@ubc.ca
Dzifa Foli is the Academic Life Coordinator for UBC Jump Start 2010. She is graduating this summer, from the Sauder School of Business with a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting. She is an international student from Ghana and has been involved in UBC Jump Start since 2005 as a participant in her first year, Residence Advisor for two years and a volunteer in subsequent years. She has also been involved with other Orientation and Transition programs including GALA International Orientation as an Assistant Coordinator in 2008, and the International Peer Program as a Student Manager in 2009/2010. She enjoys working in Student Development and is excited to purse a career in this field. She enjoys long walks on the beach and attending the UBC men’s basketball games. Dzifa can be reached at jumpstart.academiclife@ubc.ca.
Glenn Pangilinan will graduate this summer from the Faculty of Arts with majors in Political Science and Economics. During his time at UBC, Glenn was very involved in programming academic support services through the Chapman Learning Commons as well as participating in shaping the academic coaching model used by the Faculty of Arts. This past year he sat on the planning committee for the Arts Career Expo working with alumni and student volunteers. Glenn grew up in the Philippines and moved to Canada when he was twelve years old. This fall Glenn will head to the London School of Economics to begin his masters work, but before he leaves UBC he will spend the summer working on the Academic Life portfolio as an Assistant Student Coordinator for UBC Jump Start 2010. Glenn can be reached at jumpstart.academiclife@ubc.ca.
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The UBC Jump Start team can be reached at 604-827-4773.
The Resident Assistants
Rishan de Silva
Isabel Lee
Sammy Nepal
Sambriddhi Nepal (Sammy) is a second year in the Faculty of Arts, and is pursuing a Psychology Major and a French Minor. Born in Nepal, Sammy spent almost all her life away from her home country, growing up in Pakistan, Angola, Haiti, and Mozambique. This international upbringing is what makes her most interested in Jump Start. In her spare time, she loves cooking, watching football (soccer), reading about football, and talking about football. She hopes to work with non-governmental or charity organizations, earn some money, and then spend it all by traveling across Africa and South America.
Gaudenz Probst
Daria Panteleeva
Daniel Mudeva 
Born and Raised in Tanzania, Daniel joined UBC in 2008 and has since been a fanatic of UBC Jumpstart. He will be in his 3rd year of a BA in Geography, specializing in Environment and Sustainability. His deep passion for people and the environment has driven him to get involved in many community and environmental related issues. Among other things, he wishes to see this jumpstart as a strong jumpstart family. That everyone will be there for everyone, be it in ease times or challenging times.
Cecilia Montauban
Ravi Parhar
Stefano Lazzeri
Chafic Mekkaoui
Xanath Fragoso
Muna Kilani
The Facilitators
Tamar Milne – Commerce
Tamar teaches marketing in UBC’s Sauder School of Business, a dream job she wanted from the first day she began her Commerce degree at UBC in the ’90s and a perfect channel for her 16 years’ experience in marketing management and consulting. More than 600 undergraduate and graduate business students attend Tamar’s classes each year, and she enjoys getting to know them. When not living her dreams in the classroom, she lives her dreams in the outdoors: Tamar resides in Whistler, BC, a beautiful mountain resort near Vancouver full of countless adventures. Tamar is thrilled to return to Jump Start as the Commerce Cohort Facilitator.
Sam Lee – Science
I was born in Hong Kong, came to Canada in 1992, and have been a Vancouverite ever since. Currently, I am a PhD candidate in the UBC Genetics Graduate Program, and my research is on organogenesis during early mouse development. I was also a Coordinator of the UBC Let’s Talk Science, a graduate student-led outreach program that makes science more accessible to elementary and secondary school children in Vancouver. I was involved with Jump Start as the Science Cohort Facilitator in 2009, and I’m thrilled to be back in 2010!
Kerstin Heilgenberg – Arts
I came to Canada for the first time as an exchange student many years ago and moved to Vancouver six years ago. I pursued my PhD studies in London, UK, focusing on the international student experience. I am currently working as a lecturer at SFU, teaching Foundations of Academic Literacy, which I enjoy very much.
Ileana Costrut – Arts
This is Ileana; and she grew up in Romania where she fell in love with stories, food and forests. If she had to pick four ingenious human inventions that make her world a better place, they would be a bicycle, a cooking knife, a book and a guitar. She’s curious to hear what you love and daydream about. Hi all and welcome to UBC Jump Start!
Alex Hart – Arts
Alex has taught as a Sessional Lecturer in the Department of English at UBC for the past thirteen years. Alex specializes in Post-Colonial literature, and teaches (or has taught) first-year composition, introductory literature courses, a variety of lower- and upper-level Canadian literature courses, and a course on literary representations of the Shoah (Holocaust). This is the fifth time that Alex will be a Facilitator in the UBC Jump Start program, and he looks forward to bringing his learning-centred, participatory approach—seasoned with a healthy dose of humour and practical advice—to his Arts cohort. He trusts that you will find the UBC Jump Start program an excellent opportunity to get both a heads up on what to expect as an undergraduate student and a head start on your academic journey at UBC.
Erin Robb – Arts
Erin moved here to the “Wild West” over seven years ago, where she landed a wonderful job teaching at UBC in the Applied Science program. Erin’s current teaching allows her to explore two of her passions: professional communication and literature. A student-centered teacher, she is engaging and approachable, and makes her classes interesting (and even fun, on occasion). This is her fourth year working in the Jump Start program, and she looks forward to this opportunity of meeting pre-first-year students each year.
Jason Barker – Science
In life, I always tried to follow my curiosity. I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, where I started my academic journey in the field of Asian Studies. Over time, I gravitated towards researching belowground ecology, because I was attracted to the challenge of unraveling the complexity of forest ecosystems. My dissertation research examines how alterations in the diversity of symbiotic fungi caused by wildfire affect natural forest regeneration. In my teaching efforts, I have covered a broad array of subject matter, from symbiosis to entomology to genetics. I enjoy teaching because the fresh perspective and enthusiasm of students provides me with a vivid reminder of why I entered scientific research. I hope to continue teaching and researching at the university level after my graduation. In my free time, I enjoy reading, practicing calligraphy, and enjoying the outdoors.
Carla Paterson – Applied Science
Carla Paterson is a sessional lecturer in the Faculty of Applied Science, where she coordinates technology and society courses, and in the Department of History, where she teaches an environmental history course. She enjoys working with students new to UBC and appreciates the perspectives that international students bring to a class. She is a co-author of Fundamental Competencies for Engineers.
Faizal Karim – Applied Science
My name is Faizal Karim, and I am a Ph.D student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (EECE) Department. My research intersets are in quantum computing and nanoelectronics. For the past 5 years, I was employed as a TA by the department, mainly doing 2nd year courses. I am currently involved in the APSC faculty’s TA Training program. Working with TAG (now CTLT), I was part of the group that created the current curriculum for this program, as well as one of the six facilitators for the training itself. I have now taken on the role as the Coordinator for the program and have done so for the past year. I am also a sessional instructor for the EECE department. Currently, I am instructing a project-based course for 4th year students.
Coming soon –
The Volunteers
