A new Geography and City Studies Alumni Network (GCSAN) will create “a robust and vibrant community where alumni can give back and make meaningful connections,” say Ariel Banner (HBA UTSC 2020), Da Chen (HBA 2017 UTSC, MSc Pl 2020), Aqsa Malik (BSc UTSC 2015, MSc Pl2017), and Rebecca Roach (HBA UTSC 2015, MSc Pl 2018), four recent alumni who established the network during the winter of 2021.
No strangers to community, each of these founding alumni were active students. Malik and Roach, for instance, co-founded the Geography and City Studies Students’ Association in 2013. Malik took on the secretary role for the group, while Roach was a 3rd and 4th year representative. Banner had been involved as a year rep, also then as VP of Equity before being appointed co-president in her final year of study. Chen also had been vice president of the Geography and City Studies Student Association (GCSA) during his last year of undergrad.
But, post-graduation, the group says, they each “experienced difficulty in transitioning from University to working professionals, and had many conversations amongst our peers about the importance of community and mentorship amongst UTSC Alumni.”
We hope to foster a sense of community among current and future alumni, to equip them with the skills and knowledge [that will] support their transition to postgraduate studies and/or career development.
That led to the germ of an idea. Chen, who called his final year of studies with the Geography and City Studies Student’s Association his “most memorable and cherished year,” wondered if he could recreate that sense of community he’d enjoyed so much among alumni.
“I saw the gaps that existed, and the importance of building an alumni community,” says Chen, who brought the idea forward in February 2021.
Now officially off and running, the group is very clear about its mission and purpose.
“We hope to foster a sense of community among current and future alumni, to equip them with the skills and knowledge [that will] support their transition to postgraduate studies and/or career development,” the founding committee members say. To accomplish those goals, they’re looking at community events such as hikes, roundtable discussions, dinners and game nights.
They also hope to grow. While they’ve just gotten off the ground, GCSAN is already looking forward to expanding its first executive team. The group invites former Geography and City Studies program grads to get in touch with their feedback, or to get involved.
GCSAN – as well as other UTSC alumni networks – can also be found on UTSC Connect, an exclusive and virtual hub for UTSC alumni to network, find or offer mentorship, connect with old classmates, locate career opportunities and local alumni businesses and more.
GCSAN and other alumni groups, like the Management Alumni Association (MAA) and the University of Toronto Scarborough Alumni Association (UTSCAA), are supported by liason within the Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) at UTSC.
Interested in starting your own alumni network? Please contact Corey Formica at corey.formica@utoronto.ca.