By, Rishabh Shah

Since its beginning, St. Augustine CHS has been a nurturing and encouraging environment for students. The class of 2024 is already making its mark in its first year of post-secondary pathways! The question to be answered is, where are our Titans at?

          Meet Nathan Lee, a 1st year university student at the University of Toronto Scarborough. He is studying Life Sciences in the Health Science Stream. I got the chance to connect with him about his program. 

Nathan: “I am enjoying my program. I chose the program knowing about the broad array of pathways available moving forward and am like the flexibility. Working with others that share values and goals makes it a great workspace.”

Nathan also likes the competitiveness he experiences. He competes against people with a variety of skill levels and can say that he was well prepared because of the St. Augustine CHS community. 

I asked him about the pros and cons of the program.

Nathan: “The pool of students is not from Markham anymore, it’s from all over the world. People are coming in with all kinds of situations, all to complete the same task. It gets quite competitive, but as a graduated Titan, I feel like I have an advantage. Other than that, the campus is nice, with many food options and study areas. Cons-wise, a more general downside that could be applicable to all schools is lacking teacher assistants. They don’t help as much as they are supposed to, making the course feel harder without help.” 

When asked about advice for the Grade 12 students of STA, he mentioned that 12th-grade teachers know what they are talking about. He realized that grade 12 was the year for solidifying his studying habits and work ethic. 

Nathan: “Learn how to study as efficiently as possible; people are not lying when they say it is impossible to come back after falling behind in University.”.

Nathan is still having fun in university as he has spent time with his friends. University is stressful, but finding a way to live with the workload is key. UofT Scarborough campus is close to many restaurants, and Nathan’s pick is the Osmow’s in the science wing!

Nathan Lee seems to be having a great time at USTC. Now let’s check up on Micaela Xavier Lee.  

Micaela is a 1st year student at the University of Toronto Downtown campus. She is studying Architectural Sciences and seems to be enjoying it. I asked her a couple of questions regarding the program.

Rishabh: How do you like your program? Give an example of some pros and cons.

Micaela: “I’ve had a great time in my program so far because of the different classes and new opportunities. The work I am doing is more fun than a burden; it seems like things I would choose to do in my own time. I don’t see any cons to my program; nothing has stuck out or been uniquely annoying to me, which is always great. In my program, the classes are common, meaning we see each other very often. Some could say it limits you, but I have had no problem with it. When you make friends within your program, one great thing is that we have similar goals, I will help them and they will return it.”

When the topic of grade 12 advice was brought up, Micaela was sure to communicate her understanding of application jitters. 

Micaela: “It may seem scary, but it is a great learning experience. Fun opportunities and experiences always arise, so don’t be afraid to ask. Remember, you are not alone.”

  Micaela has had a lot of fun, she has pulled multiple all-nighters, some even consecutively! She and her friends spent straight all-nighters trying to complete an assignment. They now look back on it and laugh about it. While Micaela is having fun, for eats, she recommends Dear Saigon, a Pho restaurant near campus that serves hot and homey items. 

That concludes the first edition of this new “Where are our Titans at?” series, as always, more are on the way. Stay tuned for the next, and for the time being, enjoy the holidays!

Works Cited

Lee, Nathan. Interview. Conducted by Rishabh Shah. Thursday, December 5th, 2024

Xavier Lee, Micaela. Interview. Conducted by Rishabh Shah. Thursday, December 5th, 2024