Matthew
“Everything I’m involved with at U of T happened quite organically, “Matthew says. “Everything here is so interconnected, that once I started pursuing one of my interests, opportunities naturally presented themselves.”
Matthew, an International Relations and History major, first got involved by flipping through the UTSU Clubs Handbook until he found something that interested him. A simple email was all it took to get connected with The Toronto Globalist, University of Toronto’s magazine addressing international affairs. Through this magazine, he met people with similar interests and got involved with the International Relations Society, the UN Society, the North Korea Research Group, and The Varsity.
“Clubs are a good excuse to be social while working on things you’re interested in,” he explains, “Social skills are important: meeting people leads to meeting new people, which leads to opportunities. Extra-curriculars build practical skill-sets that you’re going to be able to relate back to your career.”
When he launched his own publication, Urbane Magazine, Matthew got official recognition from the Office of Student Life, and received leadership training and advice on fundraising and organizational procedure. He successfully applied for funding through the Hart House Good Idea Fund, a grant available for student initiatives. He also used Hart House to host student meetings for both The Toronto Globalist and Urbane Magazine.
“I always find that being really passionate about something really motivates people,” he remarks of his endeavours. “You can really do some incredible things, and passion is always infectious.”
Matthew admits it’s a challenge to balance classes with extra-curriculars, but ultimately, Matthew lets his passion guide him both inside and outside of the classroom.
“U of T has taught me that the things that I’m really interested in are the things I should be studying,” he says, “There is no right or wrong when it comes to your course of study as long as it invokes passion.”