Ante Cuvalo |
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Running for:
VP Student Affairs
About me:
Hi! I’m Ante Cuvalo, and I’m passionate about mental health, peer support, and building communities where people feel genuinely supported. Before medical school, I was involved in peer support as both a volunteer and training coordinator at McMaster. I also worked as a mental health research assistant, studying the effectiveness of national and organization-specific peer support programs and how they can be sustainably implemented in real-world settings. These experiences have shaped my interest in making wellness initiatives practical, accessible, and responsive to what students actually need. Outside of medicine, I’m a huge movie and TV fan (always looking for recs), and I spend an unreasonable amount of time with my Pomeranian, Toby, who somehow has the personality and independence of a cat trapped in a tiny dog’s body.
My platform:
My platform for VP Student Affairs is centered on building a medical school community where students feel connected, supported, and represented. Alongside the traditional VPSA responsibilities of advocacy, wellness programming, mentorship, and student representation, I hope to focus on three initiatives.
First, I want to empower student-led wellness by exploring a microgrant program that provides students with funding and resources to bring their own wellness and community-building ideas to life. Second, I hope to establish an informal peer support, drop-in space where students can connect, talk through challenges, and support one another in a welcoming, low-barrier environment. Third, I want to make the 3010 Med Lounge a stronger wellness space, including accessible snacks, wellness resources, and on-the-go health supplies.
Ultimately, I want to actively gather student feedback and turn it into meaningful advocacy and initiatives that reflect what our class actually needs.
How do you plan to ensure that EDI is integrated in your role(s)?
I plan to integrate EDI into my role by ensuring that student wellness initiatives are accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the diverse needs of our class. Students enter medical school with different identities, backgrounds, financial circumstances, and lived experiences, which can shape how they experience and access support. I hope to actively seek input from students, particularly perspectives that may be underrepresented, and collaborate with EDI representatives and student groups when developing initiatives. For programs such as wellness microgrants, I would prioritize equitable and transparent access to funding while supporting initiatives that reflect the diverse interests and needs of our class. Ultimately, I believe effective student advocacy starts with listening. I want to create opportunities for students to meaningfully shape wellness programming and ensure that the initiatives I pursue as VP Student Affairs reflect the breadth of experiences within our class.
VP Student Affairs
About me:
Hi! I’m Ante Cuvalo, and I’m passionate about mental health, peer support, and building communities where people feel genuinely supported. Before medical school, I was involved in peer support as both a volunteer and training coordinator at McMaster. I also worked as a mental health research assistant, studying the effectiveness of national and organization-specific peer support programs and how they can be sustainably implemented in real-world settings. These experiences have shaped my interest in making wellness initiatives practical, accessible, and responsive to what students actually need. Outside of medicine, I’m a huge movie and TV fan (always looking for recs), and I spend an unreasonable amount of time with my Pomeranian, Toby, who somehow has the personality and independence of a cat trapped in a tiny dog’s body.
My platform:
My platform for VP Student Affairs is centered on building a medical school community where students feel connected, supported, and represented. Alongside the traditional VPSA responsibilities of advocacy, wellness programming, mentorship, and student representation, I hope to focus on three initiatives.
First, I want to empower student-led wellness by exploring a microgrant program that provides students with funding and resources to bring their own wellness and community-building ideas to life. Second, I hope to establish an informal peer support, drop-in space where students can connect, talk through challenges, and support one another in a welcoming, low-barrier environment. Third, I want to make the 3010 Med Lounge a stronger wellness space, including accessible snacks, wellness resources, and on-the-go health supplies.
Ultimately, I want to actively gather student feedback and turn it into meaningful advocacy and initiatives that reflect what our class actually needs.
How do you plan to ensure that EDI is integrated in your role(s)?
I plan to integrate EDI into my role by ensuring that student wellness initiatives are accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the diverse needs of our class. Students enter medical school with different identities, backgrounds, financial circumstances, and lived experiences, which can shape how they experience and access support. I hope to actively seek input from students, particularly perspectives that may be underrepresented, and collaborate with EDI representatives and student groups when developing initiatives. For programs such as wellness microgrants, I would prioritize equitable and transparent access to funding while supporting initiatives that reflect the diverse interests and needs of our class. Ultimately, I believe effective student advocacy starts with listening. I want to create opportunities for students to meaningfully shape wellness programming and ensure that the initiatives I pursue as VP Student Affairs reflect the breadth of experiences within our class.