As a Student Wellness Ambassador, psychology major Thư/Andrea Pham has been an invaluable member of the TRU Wellness Centre team.
The winner of November’s Peer Mentor of the Month award, Pham, was nominated by Chelsea Corsi and Payton Hiebert for exceptional leadership, mentorship and creativity.
“I’m grateful for the nomination, but to me, the truest reward is work well done,” said Pham. “I’m not really a centre-stage type; I’m more of a quiet, behind-the-scenes leader. My mom taught me that if you put 100 per cent of yourself into work, you won’t look back with regret. Hard work pays off.”
As a returning leader, Pham has enjoyed mentoring the new SWAT leaders while fostering a welcoming and collaborative team environment. The Wellness Centre, a popular and always bustling service in Old Main, is an institution at TRU, with the SWAT program setting a standard for excellence in terms of visibility, engagement and outreach related to harm reduction, consent education, decolonization and Indigenization. The ambassadors play an integral role at TRU by supporting students who access the centre while collaborating on health and wellness workshops, presentations and outreach events. The centre is a Take-Home Naloxone (THN) site and is known for its annual Consent Tea.
Growing as a leader
Pham encourages others to get involved as peer leaders at TRU.
The centre’s mandate prioritizes learning about Indigenous and other cultural wellness practices, providing appropriate care and support to all individuals who access their services. Through educational opportunities with Elder Doe, Pham developed an interest in Indigenization and decolonization. She demonstrated remarkable dedication through her detailed planning and facilitation of the three-day event, Reconciliation and Inner Voice. Corsi and Hiebert remarked on Pham’s clear communication, effective delegation and meticulous organization.
“Since joining the Wellness Centre last year, Thư/Andrea has shown tremendous growth, transforming from a quieter leader into a confident, inspiring role model. Her journey highlights the power of a growth mindset and the opportunities for personal development within our team,” said Hiebert. “Beyond event coordination, Thư/Andrea has contributed to the heart of our team culture.”
Stepping into a leadership role happened “naturally” for Pham, as the foundational training, responsibilities and learning experiences through the Wellness Centre allowed her to develop her sense of self — much of which grew out of the connections she made through the popular student service. “I’m feeling stronger and more confident in the transferable skills that I’ve acquired over time,” she said.
Pham took this photo of Elder Doe’s beadwork. “She taught me ways to walk the path of Reconciliation.”
Pham was also celebrated for designing creative team-building activities for training sessions and for making elaborate birthday cards for her fellow SWAT members. “It’s not just your average birthday card,” she said with a smile. “There’s lots of planning, intention, creativity and curiosity. It’s about getting to know your teammate’s histories, hobbies and interests to personalize it.”
While Pham hand-makes the cards, she won’t take credit for starting the tradition — only for continuing it on behalf of former SWAT leader and recent graduate Anneka Spice.
“Whatever I’m doing is a reflection of the other leaders that I’ve worked with. Anneka inspired me a lot. She makes me feel seen and heard all the time. Even though we stay in touch, I still miss her. I really want to honour her by upholding this tradition and passing it on to the next generation.”
The generational legacy of the peer leaders is a chain of inheritances: a wealth of care, encouragement and information designed to uplift student lives and communities. Mentorship and support that manifest in well-functioning, inclusive, trauma-informed, culturally appropriate and psychologically safe events exemplify the centre’s reputation. Each year, students graduate and move on to the next adventure, but they’ll always be alumni, forever a part of that tapestry that makes the Wellness Centre iconic.
Resilience and renewal
“I want everyone to feel like they’re part of a team. I was once a new leader, and I understand that there’s a lot of uncertainty, anxiety and vulnerability at the beginning. Being welcoming and having fun is critical to being inclusive. I remind others that you don’t need to know everything; you just need to try your best,” said Pham.
Pham previously studied in Vietnam, where she grew up. “I was going through a lot of mental health challenges, and so I didn’t really make the most of it. I feel like being at TRU is my second chance to enjoy university life. And I think that is why I try to make the most of everything. I love the community here. It’s very diverse, and I have friends from different cultures, which is really cool. I love many of my psychology professors; they are very kind, and they make me feel heard.”
Pham believes fun, autonomy and patience are key to successful student programming.
Now in her last year at TRU and in her role at the Wellness Centre, Pham feels emotional. “I’m going to miss everyone so much, but I know they’ve prepared me so much for a new chapter. This year, I’m going to put my whole self into the work to make the most of my time here.”
Formerly a social media ambassador for TRU World, Pham likes seeing her world through the camera lens. “Photography is meditative, grounding and a platform of creativity. Every time I feel overwhelmed, I just take a step back and observe nature: the land, the sky, the sunset, the sunrise, the deer around us. It makes me feel so alive. There’s so much beauty around us here.”
While TRU offers a wide variety of social gatherings, clubs, support services, resources and professional development opportunities, Pham understands that engagement takes time.
“We need to respect student autonomy. No matter how much we believe in the services that we recommend and promote, respecting an individual’s process is everything. What matters most is that students make that decision for themselves. All we can do is be genuine, honest and authentic, and make sure the interaction is positive. They’ll become more comfortable eventually, and over time, they’ll start to seek out resources.
“The true irony of student-facing programming is that if you don’t check it out, you don’t know what you’re missing. Students need to try something for themselves to believe in its potential impact. However, having a peer role model share what worked for them might help inspire changes big and small.
“They’ll make a move when they are ready, and we are holding space for that,” said Pham. “We know it might not happen overnight. Whether you ask for help or not, you can be certain that we’re here, ready to support you.”
Pham’s patience and peaceful nature are emblematic of the Wellness Centre’s approach to community building. It’s about making long-term investments and progressing at one’s own pace. “Everything in my life that is really joyful happened at a moment I least expected it. I’m just really happy where I am right now. There’s a lot to be grateful for.”
The TRU Peer Leader of the Month Award recognizes one or two peer leader(s) per month from September to April each academic year for contributions they have made to their mentees, peer leader group, the TRU community and/or the broader Kamloops community. This award recognizes the diverse contributions made by peer leaders and celebrates students who exemplify attributes such as passion, leadership, resilience, excellence, creativity and empathy.
