Transitional Year Programme

Malia Robinson had to overcome an array of challenges to become a University of Toronto graduate. Arriving as a mature student amid a period of uncertainty and self-doubt, Robinson went on to complete an honours bachelor of arts degree in women and gender studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science, with minors in Buddhism, psychology and mental health, and contemporary Asian studies.

Along the way, she traveled to Central America for an experiential learning opportunity that altered the trajectory of her studies, volunteered at Women's College Hospital – having previously undergone surgery to treat cancer there – and won Woodsworth College's prestigious Brookfield Bronfman Gold Scholarship.

Now starting graduate studies in U of T's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, Robinson recently spoke about her journey.

You came to U of T through the Transitional Year Programme as a mature student – what made you want to study here?

I learned about U of T’s Transitional Year Programme at a difficult point in my life where I felt like I had hit rock-bottom and had zero prospects for the future. Seeing post-secondary as an opportunity to start over and build a brighter future, I swallowed my fear and made the decision to apply. Looking back, I can honestly say it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Why did you choose women and gender studies?

I wanted to learn as much as I could about the histories, systems and policies that contributed to the pain and dysfunction I was seeing in the world.

As I studied about the social determinants of health, gendered biases in medicine, colonialism in the Canadian context, systemic violence, and the social, cultural, physiological and mental impacts of intergenerational trauma, I felt overwhelmed by the depth of suffering in the world and was compelled to use my lived experiences and education to alleviate that suffering in some way.

I also realized that I needed to broaden my understanding of the world to be able to meet people where they are at. To do so, I enrolled in contemporary Asian studies and took courses in Latin American studies, which helped me understand colonialism and neoliberalism in different regional contexts. This introduced me to the different ways diverse cultures have reclaimed their languages and spaces, and decolonized their food systems, educational systems and healing practices.

In turn, these courses compelled me to deepen my understanding of healing trauma on an individual and societal level. To facilitate this, I enrolled in Buddhism, psychology & mental health, which gave me the skills needed to care for my own embodied trauma and inspired me to train in somatic therapies.

What personal challenges have you overcome during your studies?

The biggest challenge I faced was my limiting beliefs about what I was capable of achieving. With the immense support I received from the Transitional Year Programme, Woodsworth College, Accessibility Services, First Nations House, my professors, peers and partner, I was able to step outside of my comfort zone, make mistakes, learn from my failures and challenge myself in new and exciting ways.

Looking back, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow. And I am particularly grateful for the opportunity to make my Uncle Yogi proud and honour my Métis roots.

How did your studies take you to Central America?

In the summer of 2019, I participated in an experiential learning opportunity via the Dean's International & Indigenous Initiatives Fund, where I studied issues pertaining to Indigeneity and food sovereignty in Belize. This experience was one of the highlights of my undergraduate experience and was so impactful it changed the trajectory of my studies.

During this trip, I was inspired by the painstaking work that Indigenous Belizians undertook to revitalize the physical, emotional and generational health of their communities, and I came to the realization that I wanted to spend my life working in a similar capacity.

I really appreciated the guided tour of a local farm and getting the chance to learn about Mayan land rights, food systems and development initiatives. I believe that food is a powerful medicine and remember feeling inspired and humbled by the efforts locals undertook to protect their lands and traditional crops, and transmit their knowledge to the younger generations.

How did you become connected with Women’s College Hospital?

At the beginning of the pandemic, I underwent surgery at Women’s College Hospital to stop cervical cancer in its tracks. When I was in recovery, I was looking for a virtual opportunity to support folks during the crisis when I stumbled across New College’s Community Engaged Learning Program, which was looking for volunteers to help the Centre for Wise Practices in Indigenous Health draft a proposal to build a medicine garden at Women’s College Hospital.

At the time, I was struggling with the existential crisis that comes with anything cancer-related and felt like this was an incredible opportunity to channel my energy into building something meaningful that would support others who are at different stages of their healing journeys. I learned a lot during my placement and was excited to see the efforts of everyone involved give rise to a rooftop garden which officially opened this summer.

You started a master of social work at U of T – what would you like to do in the future?

Once I’m qualified to offer counseling and work with trauma, I want to help people resolve their complex trauma issues and reconnect to their body’s inherent capacity for restorative sleep, health and wellness.

Given my incredibly positive personal experiences with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE), I wholeheartedly believe that somatic therapies – therapy that aims to treat PTSD and other mental and emotional health issues through the connection of mind and body – are the future of trauma therapy.

Because these therapies are still prohibitively expensive, I strive to provide accessible and affordable therapy to the people who need it most – and want to dedicate my life to supporting people on their healing journeys.

U of T’s Transitional Year Programme to mark 53rd anniversary with gala event: CBC

mattimar — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 15:05:25 +0000

U of T’s Transitional Year Programme to mark 53rd anniversary with gala event: CBC

mattimar Wed, 10/04/2023 - 11:05

Cutline

(photo courtesy of TYP)

Topic

Our Community

Transitional Year Programme

Honorary Degree

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

The University of Toronto’s Transitional Year Programme (TYP) is celebrating 53 years of the access-to-education program with a gala in the Great Hall at Hart House on Oct. 4.

The event will feature speeches from U of T leaders, TYP alumni, a jingle dance by an alumna of the program, a performance by Canadian artist Jully Black and more.

A portion of the gala will pay tribute to the late Keren Brathwaite, an alumna of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) who co-founded TYP in 1970 to help mature Black students get a university education, reports CBC News. She was the associate director of TYP before her retirement in 2003.

Former TYP faculty Horace Henriques, Safia Gahayr and Roslyn Thomas-Long will also be honoured at the event.

Over the years, the program has evolved to help adult students who have not completed high school enter university and offers support to ensure students succeed in transitioning to undergraduate studies. Every spring, TYP holds a graduation ceremony to celebrate the students who completed the eight-month program. They include Floria Kangootui, who graduated this spring with a bachelor’s degree from U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science.

Fallon Young, now in her third year of studies at U of T, told CBC News the program changed her life.

“It means everything,” she said. “The disparities that I faced going through the public school system in high school, it left me in a position where I would have never been able to obtain this opportunity otherwise.”

Lance McCready, TYP’s director and associate professor in the department of leadership, higher and adult education at OISE, told CBC News the gala is an opportunity to celebrate all the good the program has done.

Read the CBC News article

New graduate credits U of T’s Transitional Year Programme for her success – and plans to pay it forward

siddiq22 — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 17:09:52 +0000

New graduate credits U of T’s Transitional Year Programme for her success – and plans to pay it forward

siddiq22 Fri, 06/16/2023 - 13:09

Cutline

Floria Kangootui, wearing traditional clothing from her homeland of Namibia, graduated this week after U of T's Transitional Year Programme helped her achieve her dream of attending university (supplied image)

Topic

Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

Faculty of Arts & Science

University College

Subheadline

After overcoming challenges to achieve her dream of attending university, Floria Kangootui aims to help others by drawing on her own experiences

As Floria Kangootui crosses the stage at Convocation Hall this week, she’ll be thinking about how far she’s come.

While the University of Toronto graduate always planned to continue her education when she fled Namibia for Canada 12 years ago, obstacles kept getting in the way – until she discovered the Transitional Year Programme (TYP).

“I wanted to go to a country where I would just feel safe and be who I am. I came not having any friends or family, not knowing anyone – I just made a huge decision to come here and really wanted to go to school,” recalls Kangootui, 40, who earned a bachelor’s degree in the Faculty of Arts & Science with a major in critical studies in equity and solidarity and a double minor in Indigenous studies and African studies.

“When I arrived, I came in as a refugee claimant and did not have my immigration status yet. Due to my challenges supporting my family back home, I dropped out of school. I didn’t know what to do – I didn’t have a voice for myself.”

Kangootui wears a stole from Black Grad 2023, a student-run celebration that highlights the accomplishments of Black graduates at U of T (supplied image)

Kangootui, a member of University College, left Namibia because of societal pressures, including a longstanding tradition within her family to promise girls in marriage to their cousins, as well as deeply rooted homophobia within the country.

Once in Canada, she took a job in 2013 with a mining company in Timmins, Ont. – pushing her aspiration to finish high school even further off.

But when an Indigenous colleague at the company shared stories about residential school and the Sixties Scoop, Kangootui's desire to learn was rekindled.

“I really began questioning why I didn’t know anything about this history and realized I wanted to go back to school and learn more about the history of Canada.”

After becoming a single parent in 2016 and moving back to Toronto, she was set to study community services at college when a Facebook post about U of T’s Transitional Year Programme caught her eye.

The eight-month program, which helps adult students who have not completed high school enter university, offers supports – including an academic adviser, access to counselling, funding options, spaces to work and social events – to ensure students succeed in transitioning to undergraduate studies.

“I remember going to my first TYP meeting – it was opening doors to people who never would have had the qualifications or background to go to university,” Kangootui says.

Kangootui’s interest in social justice quickly found a home in her studies, which opened her eyes to inequities at home and abroad and underscored her desire to effect change.

“For example, I have people from my community who are LGBTQ – they don’t want to come out because of the stigma,” she says.

“Learning more about equity has really changed my understanding about so many things.”

Kangootui credits the TYP with allowing her to fulfil her dream of higher education – and for helping her to cultivate a network of peers who have overcome everything from addiction, language barriers, homelessness and more to work toward the same goal.

“Every story is so unique – most of us didn’t have parents who went to university. I think all of us realized that it was something we had to do,” she says. “The people that I have met in the program, we are still together to this day – it’s a real community.”

“Even though we may come from different backgrounds and speak different languages, we all still need a place where we feel that we belong.”

She’s also grateful for the mentorship and guidance of faculty and lecturers Francis Ahia, Stan Doyle-Wood, Chevy Eugene and Joanne Valin, as well as program director Lance McCready, registrar Shane Wallace and program administrator Maru Rodriguez.

“Floria was a committed, conscientious TYP student who built a strong network of support,” says McCready, associate professor of leadership, higher and adult education at U of T’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

“She is a shining of example of the transformative power of undergraduate studies and the importance of investing in education access for mature students.”

During her studies, Kangootui served as the upper-year representative of the African Studies Course Union and volunteered with Fife House, an organization providing supportive housing and support services to people living with HIV.

“Now I can understand others’ struggles based on my experience, and want to give back in any way I can. That’s my goal for the future,” she says.

Kangootui plans to live up to that commitment through the next step in her educational journey – she’ll start a master’s degree at U of T’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work in the fall – and hopes her achievement will inspire her seven-year-old daughter.

She has a simple message for others facing challenges on the path to university: “School does not have any age – we can all do it. If I was able to go to school given my whole journey, and as a single mother, then everyone can do it.”

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