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Core Foundations 

One of Jan’s favourite classes thus far has been PHL365: Ethics and Society. What originally started out as a required course for his minor, became a passion that he followed through the rest of his studies. In this course, his professor took case studies from around the world and brought it into the Canadian perspective. 

Skill Development Outside the Classroom

Outside of his classes, Jan has grown his passions and skills in Urbanism through his involvement in UTM Urbanism Club, of which he served as the President in his final year. In this role, he enjoyed working for the community, while also building his resume and helping to plan fun social events, like pub nights and themed nights. In terms of the social impact of the club, it sought to address the transit issue in Mississauga, which was causing thousands of students to have to walk 1.5 kilometers due to poor transit options. Because of his club’s efforts, they were able to successfully lobby the government in ten months to provide more suitable transit. As a result, as of September 2024, a new express route that goes directly into UTM campus has been active and is active every day of the business week. To this day, Jan feels proud seeing students on the bus, because he can see the tangible impact of his work. It’s this community support, and the skills building he’s gained from the experience which he says he’s most grateful for. 

Finding Community 

Jan’s tips on finding community in university? Get involved - especially in the first few weeks. Talk to students in your classes, ask if the person sitting next to you wants to study, join a club with a niche so you can meet people with the same common interest, the list goes on. Jan also cites community events like the all nations powwow and campus-wide orientation as good places to start.