“My community pulled through for me when I was in a time of need, and they provided me with the essential tools to help me overcome a rough period in my life,” says Ajamu Attard, reflecting on the hardships he experienced as a student.
He was once in and out of a youth shelter at the age of 16, but now, Ajamu Attard is the CEO and National Director of Student Support. Not only is he helping university students across Canada get access to resources from service providers like Udemy, Aaptiv, Calm and more, but he’s also integrating mentorship and elevating his community as a leader.
Attard is the recipient of over 15 prestigious awards including Canada’s Top 20 Under 20, the Lincoln M. Alexander award, the RBC Leadership Award and the Al Hillington scholarship.
Today, Ajamu Attard has agreed to share a full overview of what Student Support helps students accomplish as well as the support they offer. He adds that as an enterprise, Student Support helps post-secondary students get access to all the services they need for 98 percent off the original price. This allows them to get mental health, education and writing support for a fraction of the cost.
“First of all, Student Support makes it easier to focus on what matters most – your education,” says Attard.
He says that in order to focus fully on your education, all the other areas of your life need to be checked and taken care of. Attard is all too familiar with this concept because he himself was unable to focus on his own education during his high school years because he was struggling with homelessness. It wasn’t until staff recognized his potential and pulled through for him that he was able to go on to achieve success.
For Attard, it’s not about the awards or the recognition that he achieved once he got to the other side, but the countless students he helped. Before Student Support, he was able to help students get hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships, and he knows that in many ways, he has set each individual up with a better life trajectory.
“That’s what Student Support does,” he says.
In addition, Student Support offers services that benefit students from all walks of life and take into consideration the various news and requirements for support each may have.
Calm for Mental Health:
Calm is one of the top resources on the app store for sleep and meditation. Calm is proven to improve sleep quality, reduce stress, & lower anxiety, and students stand by the benefits of integrating Calm into their lives. Whether it’s to wind down before bed or settle nerves before an exam, Calm pulls through.
ProWritingAid for Writing Feedback:
ProWritingAid helps students develop and hone in on their writing skills, reinforce proper revision habits, & prevent plagiarism. Real-time feedback is provided to students when typing in Word, Docs, Email and more.
Udemy for Job Skills and Learning:
Udemy is an online learning platform with thousands of courses to learn coding, marketing, data science, management and more. Students can pick from thousands of courses from the Udemy Course catalogue, which allows them to learn new skills in any area. Whether it’s studying for their current courses or seeking new learning opportunities, Udemy has them covered.
Nimbus Learning for Mentorship and Tutoring:
Through Nimbus, students can find and get the additional support they need from approved student tutors who have demonstrated a high-level understanding of course material.
Aaptiv for Personal Training and Fitness:
Students who access Aaptiv through Student Support get access to over 6,000 audio and video classes on strength training, yoga, running, cycling, stretching, barre, pilates, treadmill, cardio, & more. It’s like a personal trainer in your pocket, and it’s perfect for any time of year, and even when students are busy and on-the-go.
This is just the beginning and Student Support has so much more on the go. Not only do they support over 35,000 post-secondary and high school students, but they have a mission to continue expanding their services to support as many students across the country and across the globe as possible.
“We want to support students to thrive,” says Ajamu Attard.
