Welcome Wednesday: Maria Staszkiewicz
Maria is majoring in Public Policy and PCJ because of her interest in political science, philosophy, and economics. She was drawn to getting practical experience through case studies, classes with former public sector professionals, and the lively discussions that come with small class sizes.
In her first semester of PCJ, Maria enjoyed exploring the field from a variety of perspectives and getting to know her classmates. Like many, she was disappointed to not be able to do this in person, but it has made her even more excited for next semester. Maria strongly believes in the importance of giving back to her community. This year, she was elected as the Mentorship Coordinator of the UofT Pre-Law Society. Additionally, she serves as the Programming Director of Victoria College’s Mental Wellness Commission and the 2nd year representative at the Undergraduate Public Policy Students’ Association. She also trains with the U of T Women’s Rowing Team!
After graduating, Maria is considering law school or a graduate program in Public Policy. A fun fact about Maria is that she used to attend some of her classes in a floating building in high school.
Welcome Wednesday: Maryam & Nivaal Rehman
Maryam and Nivaal chose to pursue studies in Peace, Conflict and Justice together with International Relations and Women and Gender Studies, because they wanted to be able to better understand how the world works, the issues within it, and approaches to address them from as many disciplines as possible. These programs also aligned with the work that they are already doing, which will thus help them expand their knowledge and apply it further.
The twins began their activism journey when they were only eight years old, inspiring girls in their village in Pakistan to continue their education. While they are are originally from Pakistan, Maryam and Nivaal grew up in Canada and recognized from an early age that challenges existed here too. As a result, they got involved in social-justice based clubs throughout grade school.
In 2015, they started sharing their work on social media to inspire others around the globe. This was the genesis of The World With MNR, initially a media platform designed to bridge the gap in the media between reports on problems that exist in the world and what people can do to help. Over the years, Maryam and Nivaal have interviewed with Nobel-Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousufzai and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former CEO of the World Bank Kristalina Georgieva, and former Managing Director of the IMF, Christine Lagarde. In 2019, Maryam and Nivaal registered The World With MNR as a non-profit and now combine storytelling, advocacy and development to take action for climate justice, gender equality, and inclusivity through multiple initiatives and projects.
In line with their passion for storytelling, the Maryam and Nivaal also love creating films, including one that they directed and produced for Disney and the UN Girl Up Campaign’s “Dream Big Princess” project in 2018. Their latest film was their first feature-length documentary called Destined to Soar. It highlights their work in their village in Pakistan, but also covers their journey as they learn from other education activists and change-makers across the country. It has been screened all over the world, including at the UN for the 20th anniversary of the UN Girl’s Education Initiative.
Aside from their non-profit, Maryam and Nivaal have worked with global organizations such as the Malala Fund, the UN Girl Up Campaign, the David Suzuki Foundation, UNICEF, UNESCO, and the Global Partnership.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, this work has expanded even more: they have been able to work with the UN Girls’ Education Initiative to host Intergenerational Dialogues, moderate discussions, and work on their Transform Education Guiding Group in order to address the various challenges COVID-19 brings to girls’ education globally. Some of the dialogues the twins moderated featured world leaders like former Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard; the UK Minister for Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development, Baroness Sugg, Denmark’s Minister for Development Cooperation; GPE’s CEO, Alice Albright; Norway’s State Secretary for International Development, Aksel Jacobsen; and Sierra Leone’s Minister for Education, David Sengeh. They also shared the stage with incredible leaders, including Michelle Obama and Meghan Markle at the Girl Up Leadership Summit this year.
The twins have learned to balance their advocacy work with school from their eleven years of experience doing it. They have adopted time management skills and learned how to work collaboratively to balance their advocacy work with school. Both their advocacy work and their school work is a lot more than what they began with, but their time management and ability to work together on their extracurriculars and advocacy work has also improved significantly which allows the Maryam and Nivaal to balance their passions.
Maryam and Nivaal are constantly thinking of how to apply what they learn in PCJ to their advocacy work today. Whether it’s high-level conversations, their own understanding of the world, or initiatives they run through their non-profit, they love applying what they are learning in the moment. They consider this the most exciting part of being in PCJ.
Welcome Wednesday: Anya Haldemann
Anya has been interested in the PCJ program since high school. In her first year, she was part of Munk One, and this confirmed that she wanted to study PCJ. In choosing her other course of study, she knew that she enjoyed the classical histories and philosophies found in the humanities, which ES&L covers. She knew coupling PCJ with ES&L would be challenging, but she wanted a course of study that included all of her interests. Moreover, she loves that both PCJ and ES&L are multi-dimensional courses of study with small class sizes.
Anya has been enjoying her first semester as a PCJ student: the passionate discussions with her peers is the highlight of her week. She is also finding that Professor Bertoldi’s musical introductions are an entertaining and accessible way to get the class into the week’s topics. Anya is particularly looking forward to studying Feminist Peace Theory next semester.
Anya is interested in equity issues and social justice movements, as well as how movements can best achieve their goals. Fittingly, her PCJ group work topic is the case study of the British suffragettes and questioning whether civil disobedience helped or hindered their movement. Last year, Anya served as her house treasurer, trained for a dragon boat team, and took part in a Model United Nations conference in Boston with the Trinity College team. Over the summer, Anya helped set up one of the first digital MUN conferences with a group of friends. As with many, this semester is more low-key for Anya, but she still makes sure to connect with PCJ, Munk One, and other activities. She also tries to go on a walk everyday, although with the cold coming, it is getting harder to keep it up!
A fun fact about Anya is that she holds four passports and can speak three languages.
Welcome Wednesday: Atharv Agrawal
Atharv was a part of the Munk One program, which he cites as the defining experience of his first year at university: being surrounded by some of the most eager minds from across the world made for a rather enriching experience. He found that this was the kind of environment that was conducive to his growth, so he decided to apply for the PCJ program. His choice of also pursuing Economics was more philosophical; he explains that life is a summation of our decisions, so in that sense, economics is a study of human life itself.
Atharv describes the first few weeks as an enthralling experience. He has found the PCJ community to be incredibly tight-knit and welcoming. This is important especially in these times, when it is more difficult to connect with people. He enjoys the wholesome tone for the program that Professor Bertoldi has set, with every class starting with a music session and ending with a poem and meditation session, both of which are somehow always incredibly relevant to that week’s conversation.
When Atharv’s summer plans did not pan out as he had envisioned due to COVID-19, he decided that to spend the summer doing things he never would have imagined otherwise. Atharv ended up shooting 10 episodes of a video podcast with Eli Meadow and fellow PCJ student and Munk One alumnus, Abhay Singh Sachal, called “Different Boat, Same Storm: Kindling Empathy Amidst a Global Pandemic.” They spoke to people from all walks of life: poets, adventurers, social policymakers, life coaches, entrepreneurs, tour guides, and youth change-makers. Through this experience, they have learned and grown so much that they are already working on Season 2!
Aside from podcasting, Atharv is a student consultant at the IBM Pro Bono Initiative, a consulting program run by IBM Canada wherein university students are matched up with local non-profit organizations and guided by IBM mentors to strategize and solve complex business challenges. He is also on the executive team of Global Spark, a national, student-run initiative that exposes university students, with an emphasis on STEM students, to global issues and multidisciplinary thinking. He is leading Global Spark’s podcast, which is focused on bringing global experts to share their thinking and experiences on the importance of multidisciplinary problem solving in tackling global challenges and incorporating social impact into their careers. He serves as the Academic Partnerships Coordinator, responsible for engaging and working directly with faculty members to create curricula that fosters such interdisciplinary thinking and liaising with them to incorporate these curricula in university courses.
Atharv is also participating in the Research Opportunity Program at the Munk School. His project, under the guidance of Professor Teresa Kramarz, is titled “The Politics of Environmental Disasters and the Production of Social Risk.” They are investigating how social vulnerability translates into community resilience in the face of various kinds of environmental disasters.
After graduating from PCJ, Atharv wants to work in a field that combines economics, international development, social impact, and innovation. He has yet to decide whether to pursue this from an academic route or an industry-based route, but he is hoping that his time in university will help realize what he is best suited for.
A fun fact about Atharv is that he is left-leaning ambidextrous!
Sumayyah Shah
Since Sumayyah has a lot of interest in criminal justice and governmental reform, she was particularly drawn to PCJ due to its interdisciplinary approach to studying and resolving conflict. Namely, she is interested in how concepts of nationalism and identity overlap with both the study of conflict and the justice system. This is also part of the reason why she chose to minor in DTS
Despite this year’s PCJ260Y1 being offered virtually, she is finding that the smaller class size has made it easier to form connections with classmates. Sumayyah says Professor Bertoldi’s enthusiasm for the course material and her engagement with the students has also made the first few weeks enlightening. Sumayyah is looking forward to building on these relationships for rest of the year.
One of Sumayyah’s key research interests is the causes and effects of wars for independence. As a second-generation South Asian immigrant whose life has very much been informed by postcolonial conflict in India and Bangladesh, she hopes to be given the opportunity to examine the various social and historical factors that shape wars for independence and how they influence the identities of those affected by the war.
While Sumayyah does aim to attend graduate or law school, she is hoping that over the course of this term she will learn her key areas of interest which will then inform her future plans. For now, she is just trying to focus on second-year and getting comfortable in where she is right now.
A fun fact about Sumayyah is that she has a twin sister that looks a lot like her!
Welcome Wednesday: Sarai Rudder
When Sarai first looked into PCJ, she was intrigued by the program’s interdisciplinary nature; she wanted a program of study that covered global issues and sociological studies. She also chose to study Ethics, Society, and Law due in part to its philosophical aspect, and because she intends to study human rights law in the future. She believed that together, both programs would be an especially valuable segue into the field.
Sarai is thoroughly enjoying her first few PCJ courses. She has found the readings in PCJ260Y1 to be extremely insightful, and some of the issues the class has already read about are things that she was already very interested in. Moreover, Sarai has already learned so much from the class discussions she has had with her peers. She is looking forward to the rest of the year in the course, getting to know her peers and professors, and continuing to learn from them.
Sarai’s biggest takeaway from her first year of university was that every individual has a unique path. In a school where both the academic and extra-curricular opportunities are innumerable, life can easily become confusing.
However, she believes that if one stays true to their passions, they will find the path that was meant for them. Sarai applies this knowledge to the PCJ program because there is so much that it has to offer to students. In order to make the most of the program, Sarai believes that being true to her academic passions and finding them within PCJ’s opportunities is how she will carve out her own unique path.
This year, Sarai is a member of a new club called “Ensemble.” The goal of the club is to promote gender equality, with a focus on the collaboration of all genders to achieve this outcome. Likewise, her main research interests are racial inequities and conflicts, and women and children’s opportunities globally.
A fun fact about Sarai is she is the only girl amongst four brothers in her family.
Grace Adams
Grace found out about PCJ through Munk One and decided to apply because it gave her an opportunity to continue working within a small, close-knit cohort in an interdisciplinary environment. She chose Ethics, Society & Law because it seemed like the perfect program to complement her classes in PCJ.
In her first year of university, Grace experienced “imposter syndrome,”– something many of us students do. She found that it could sometimes be difficult feeling to contend with feelings like you aren’t good enough or smart enough to be where you are, but it ultimately led to her becoming more aware of her worth and the skills that she brings to the classroom. Through this experience, Grace learned that every student brings something unique to the table, which is another reason she is looking forward to working with her peers in the program.
Grace is excited to focus on some of her personal academic passions within her PCJ courses, while continuing to use the skills she gained in Munk One, such as applying key frameworks and concepts to various topics . Munk One also helped Grace find areas of study that she has since become passionate about studying.
Last year, Grace was a member of the Victoria College Chorus and a member of the student union’s “Blue Crew” volunteer group. She spends most of her free time working as a barista at a café in Yorkville.
Before joining U of T, Grace took a gap year. During the first half, she worked to save money for a four and a half month backpacking trip all over Europe and Southeast Asia. A few highlights included Prague, the Swiss Alps, a tiny island in Greece, rural homestays in Vietnam, and learning how to ride a motorbike in Thailand. Grace recommends a gap year to anyone, no matter their age — you’ll never regret it!
Welcome Wednesday: Amanda Wang
A wide range of interests lead Amanda to apply for PCJ. Combined with a major in PCJ, Amanda chose to minor in Equity Studies and Political Science because she cares deeply about various social justice issues and wants to gain a more holistic perspective on them, informed by various disciplines.
Amanda’s biggest takeaway from her first year at U of T was to trust the process. She found that although change can be daunting, it is important to be patient with yourself. She learned that when taking on any new experience, whether that be a different learning environment or extracurricular activity, it is okay to be confused and lost sometimes. With time and practice, you eventually learn to adapt and grow from those experiences. She hopes to apply this mindset to the PCJ program by coming in with an open mind, a willingness to learn, and fewer expectations for perfection.
This year, Amanda is looking forward to taking PCJ260Y1 and WGS271H1: Gender in Pop Culture. She is also excited to research restorative and transformative justice, poverty and inequality, and anti-racism/racial justice.
Outside of class, Amanda serves as a Fundraising Director for the University of Toronto Mental Health Association and the co-chair of a community cooking initiative that prepares and serves meals to members of the community in need.
A fun fact about Amanda is that she has always loved tea! When she visited relatives in China last summer, she got the chance to learn about and participate in a traditional tea ceremony. She would love to travel and learn about other different tea traditions around the world!
Welcome Wednesday: Lauren Dundee
Woodsworth One had a big impact on Lauren. Not only did it introduce her to some of her best friends at U of T and to a multitude of campus resources, but it also introduced her to the Peace, Conflict and Justice program. Lauren chose the program because she liked the sense of community and the opportunity to tailor her classes to pursue her interests.
Lauren chose to minor in Spanish to deepen her academic understanding of the language, as well as to learn Portuguese concurrently. She decided to minor in Women and Gender Studies because of her passion for women’s rights, an area in which she would like to work in the future.
This summer, Lauren completed an online course offered by the University of Geneva, “Introduction to Human Rights,” which helped her gain a beginner’s understanding of human rights. She is looking forward to exploring this topic in greater detail and combining it with her interest in International Relations, such as through the course POL412H1: Human Rights and International Relations.
Lauren is looking forward to meeting new people and attending the academic and social events, both online and in-person, that the PCJ Student Society organizes. On campus, she also plays Varsity Women’s Water Polo and is a member of UNWomen.
A fun fact about Lauren is that went to high school in Barcelona and speaks fluent Spanish.
Welcome Wednesday: Sara Hashemi
In her first year at the University of Toronto, Sara learned the importance of putting effort into communicating with her classmates and instructors to fully understand all the material and to hear different perspectives. As a result, of all her courses for the coming year, Sara is most looking forward to taking PCJ260: Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies, as it is an opportunity learn from the interdisciplinary perspective of her peers and professors in PCJ.
This year, Sara is serving as a Crisis Manager for North America Model United Nations (NAMUM) and working with the UNICEF Youth Engagement program and the U of T Pre-Law Society.
Sara’s main research interests lie in international criminal law and justice, along with economic development and conflict resolution in Africa. After graduating from PCJ, Sara plans to attend law school while working or volunteering for NGOs and non-profits. A unique fact about Sara is that she loves scuba diving and Persian literature.
Welcome Wednesday: Tidiane Diop
One reason that Tidiane chose PCJ is the interdisciplinary nature of the program, which he has long been of interest to him. As a Munk One student, Tidiane saw that the Munk School is about trusting students’ abilities and instincts while accompanying them on their respective academic journeys.
He looks forward to learning from professors who are experts in their fields and being surrounded by passionate students with different goals. Tidiane believes work ethic and drive make all the difference when pursuing one’s goals. Moreover, PCJ teaches students active problem-solving skills regarding real issues rather than hypotheticals, thus effectively preparing students for the future.
In the future, Tidiane hopes to return to Senegal and be a leader in the socio-economic development of the nation. A fun fact about Tidiane is that he developed a passion for cooking while living in a residence with no dining tall during his first year.
Welcome Wednesday: Ameera Essabar
As a young Muslim woman of colour, bridging gaps between communities and promoting inclusion and diversity are immensely important to her. She chose to major in PCJ because she values the interdisciplinary approach of the program, which allows students to immerse themselves in more than one subject. She plans to use what she learns to help communities during and after her time at U of T.
Ameera is most looking forward to PCJ’s unique experiential learning opportunities. She believes that going beyond the classroom and gaining hands on experience is incredibly valuable when seeking to make a positive difference in communities. Through course offerings, PCJ students can travel to another country on exchange, to conduct research, or can get involved with organizations in their local communities. Ameera is also excited to be a part of PCJ’s small, tight-knit community and to explore its diverse course offerings.
Ameera aspires to be a writer, taking what she learns in school and her own personal life to help others. She believes that words have the power to shift mindsets and build bridges towards inclusion and understanding. She would love to work for an organization like Amnesty International where she can fight for human rights through her words. She also hopes to use her writing to travel, experience other cultures, and broaden her knowledge of the world.
A fun fact about Ameera is her passion for writing poetry: she publishes pieces in the Varsity’s SPINE and the Innis Herald. She has also just completed her second poetry book!