Maha Arshad started her higher education at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus by completing her double major in English and Political Science. While achieving her Bachelor of Arts with Honours in 2016, she was intrigued by Gayatri Spivak's seminal paper "Can the Subaltern Speak?". She wanted to further research the links between literature and power, with a focus on postcolonial studies. All the while, she grappled with the necessity of multidimensional language, having the power to communicate, to speak and be understood. 
 
Her interests led her to continue her education at the…

After completing a specialist degree in English (with a minor in Philosophy) at UTSC, Kevin Connery went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University. Since then, Kevin has worked as a writer, journalist, and editor, all while plucking away at a very literary novel…. that he’ll surely finish one of these days.
 
Kevin first developed his writing practice at UTSC, where he took just about every writing class offered at the time. He also worked for Scarborough Fair magazine—which he highly recommends to anyone interested in writing—first as an editor and then as the…

Adrian De Leon is Assistant Professor of American Studies & Ethnicity at the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles. His research and creative practice investigate indigeneity, settlers of color, and labor politics in Scarborough and the Filipino diaspora across the Pacific. Adrian graduated from UTSC’s Specialist Program in English with a BA (Honours, with Distinction) in 2014. He completed his PhD in History at the University of Toronto in 2019, where he was a Junior Fellow and Don of Hall at Massey College. Adrian’s research was supported by grants from SSHRC, Fulbright, and various…

Ann first graduated from UTSC in physical inorganic chemistry and worked in the geo-chemical field for almost a decade. However, her passion from a young age was always English literature and teaching so she returned to UTSC to complete her English degree before pursuing a Master’s degree in English at York University and PhD in Victorian literature at Western University. Her dissertation focused on the representation of tactility in Victorian literature and she can attribute her love of nineteenth-century literature to Professor Christine Bolus-Reichert. Professor Bolus-Reichert’s Romantics course along with…

Alexandra Gater graduated on Dean’s List with High Distinction for an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree specializing in Journalism and minoring in Studio Arts in 2015. She was in the joint program with Centennial College and almost all of her electives were taken in English Literature, with a focus on creative writing. Alexandra was hired on a full-time position with Canada’s iconic women’s lifestyle magazine Chatelaine before she graduated from UTSC. She worked at the publication for almost four years and worked her way up to the Home Editor position.  

Currently, she runs her own business as a…

Daniele Hopkins is a Toronto-based intermedia artist and founder and Executive Director of Electric Perfume, a community-oriented space focusing on experiential arts through exhibitions, events, workshops, socials, and development/playtesting. At Electric Perfume, she organizes and curates shows and series that give creators within the community a chance to learn, explore, perform, and showcase their endeavours. Electric Perfume also functions as a production studio where Daniele develops interactive and experiential works for a variety of commercial clients, venues, galleries, and events offsite. In her…

Niyosha completed an Honours BSc (with Distinction) from UTSC in 2010, with a double major in Evolutionary Anthropology and English. She received a Masters of  Arts in American and Postcolonial Literatures from McGill University, where she taught a number of creative writing courses and worked as the Editorial Assistant for the McGill News Alumni Magazine. She spent a year teaching English in France at Lycée du Golfe de Saint Tropez and Collège Victor Hugo, before  returning to the University of Toronto to pursue a PhD at the Department of English and the Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies. Her…

Based in Scarborough, born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with South Asian roots, Noor Khan is a community-engaged artist and art manager. She uses the mediums of still & motion picture, graphics, as well as written word to support artists, organizations, and brands within and around her community. Her personal artwork commemorates erased pasts and envisions ethical futures. With a background of research in Critical Development, English & Media Studies and training in project management & anti-oppression, Noor’s work is grounded in community development and looks towards art as a form of reflection and…

A specialist degree in English Literature unleashed many possibilities for me. It’s taken me from the study of literature to cinema, and led me from Toronto to the UK. Importantly, it invited me to think seriously about the life path and journey I want to embark on. After graduating, I applied for a Master’s Degree in English Literary Studies at the University of York in the UK where I focused on Renaissance Literature and Drama. During the gap year in between undergrad and graduate school, I completed a postgraduate certificate in Public Relations and Corporate Communications. That experience made me start …

Chelsea La Vecchia graduated from UTSC with distinction in 2017 with a major in English literature and minors in creative writing and anthropology. She was the president of the Students of English Literature and Film (SELF), where she hosted a weekly radio show, developed a creative writing mentorship program with the Toronto Public Library, and organised a city-wide creative writing conference called Emerging Voices. In her final year, she began her novel as a creative thesis with Andrew Westoll, and mentored under Dr. Sonja Nikkila and Professor Maria Assif on a critical thesis about food in fantasy…

Alysha Navarro graduated in 2017, earning her Honours Bachelor of Arts with High Distinction. With a double major in History and English, she studied to become a licensed teacher by earning her Bachelor of Education at York University.
During her time at UTSC, she was highly involved with student life and leadership by volunteering extensively with Scarborough Campus OUT, taking a position as Operations Executive. She attended, participated, and helped to facilitate many events as a representative of UTSC on a city-wide, provincial, and even a national level.
Alysha’s work has been featured by the…

Natasha graduated with High Distinction in 2016 with a double major in English and French. Blending her passion for creative writing and research, she was widely involved within the English department. She was published both at Scarborough campus and St. George campus in Scarborough Fair Magazine, The Varsity, Goose Fiction, and The Spectatorial. Furthermore, she presented her creative writing 3 years in a row at the Undergraduate Humanities Conferences, presented her research at the 2016 Interdisciplinary Research & Discovery Symposium, and read at the Miriam Toews: In…

I graduated from UTSC 2018 with an Honors Degree in Science, majoring in Molecular Biology and Minoring in Psyche and English. Yet it was my journey in English that really impacted my career trajectory.  
 
Initially just completing an elective, I found that English classes gave me an opportunity to explore multiple research interests. Classes in English Literature demonstrated that texts need to be explored not just absorbed. The critical thinking skills, the close analysis of text and the independence of thought offered in an English class made for an enchanted learning experience overall.  …

Leanne Toshiko Simpson discovered her love of creative writing at UTSC, where she volunteered her time as senior editor of Scarborough Fair and shared her short fiction at many COW meetings. After winning the creative nonfiction category of the UTSC Creative Writing Contest in 2014, Leanne publicly shared her struggle with bipolar disorder for the first time at the Scarborough Fair launch party. It sparked a passion for mental health advocacy through both research and creative writing.

After graduating in 2015 with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in English and high distinction, Leanne went on to complete a…

Anna graduated from UTSC with an English and Philosophy double major. She also achieved a Master’s degree in English Literature from York University and a Certificate in Publishing from Ryerson’s Chang School of Continuing Education. She currently works in the publishing industry as a Marketing Coordinator for Harlequin. She is also a career-mentor with Ryerson and always happy to lend advice to students looking to break into the industry.

During her academic career Anna studied a wide variety of literature but always gravitated back to the spooky, scary, strange, thanks in large part to prof.…

Amy completed an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from UTSC in 2018 with a double major in English Literature and French. As an undergraduate student, Amy volunteered with the Students of English Literature and Film (SELF) for two years before serving as President in her fourth year. With the English department giving Amy this opportunity, she was able to develop and grow in a leadership position while working closely with English faculty members and other student leaders. 
Studying at UTSC helped Amy realize how interdisciplinary studies are. Although she focused mainly on English literature, she found…

As an undergraduate at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), Christine Tran double-majored in English and Media Studies with a minor in Economics. She also served as President for the UTSC chapter of Sigma Tau Delta. Christine is completing her MA in English at York University courtesy of a SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master's Scholarship. She locates her research interests in post-structuralist theory, digital humanities, and post-colonial women’s engagements with literature as a material object.