When I started at York University, I never expected that my most transformative experiences would come not only from lectures and textbooks, but from mentorship, relationship-building, and community work outside the classroom. In a time when programs like Indigenous Studies, East Asian Studies and Classical Studies face suspension due to low enrolment, it's evident that future students are placing less value on the humanities. But my experiences over the past year have only deepened my belief in the importance of these programs. Despite challenges—juggling a heavy course load, multiple extracurricular roles, family issues, and long commutes—I found a sense of purpose in the very humanities fields that are being threatened. These programs have offered me spaces of intellectual growth, personal development, and community, providing the foundation for some of my most meaningful experiences at York.
One course in particular, Doing Culture: Narratives of Cultural Production, fundamentally changed the way I think about education and enriched my experience at York. It transcended beyond the simple transactional process of attending class, taking notes, and leaving. Professor Carolyn Steele designed the course with a focus on relationship-building, personal development, and experiential learning that goes beyond academics. Through my placement as a research assistant with Culture Days, I had the chance to contribute to work that promoted inclusion, equity, and belonging.
What made it truly different was the space it created for mentorship and open dialogue with professors and classmates. These conversations reminded me that university is about more than academics; it’s about mentorship, trust, and growth.
I was also a part of the Advancing YU program this year, which allowed me to connect with a network of passionate students as well as my mentor—an HR recruiter at Intuit. Through her support, as well as the program’s workshops on career development and wellness in the workplace, I felt supported by a community that wants to see me succeed. We enjoyed a lot of free food and much-needed, late evening conversations with other students. University isn’t just an institution, it is an experience, and York has the resources to help along the way.
Inspired by these experiences, I began scheduling meetings with my professors, seeking guidance not only on academic work, but also on graduate school, research interests, and life beyond York. In my upper-year humanities seminars, smaller class sizes encouraged deeper class discussions and stronger connections with professors. I felt like my professors truly saw me: not just as a student, but as a future scholar.
Beyond the classroom, I found a powerful sense of community through my work with the Humanities Student Association. I was encouraged to take on the role of president by Humanities professors I had previously connected with. Even as they saw my potential, I was hesitant, doubting my capabilities to step into a role unlike any I’d held before. But I took a shot in the dark and ended up making deep connections with both my executive members and faculty members. It was in the moments when I looked back on our success that I realized how much I’d grown. The HSA wasn’t just an extracurricular; it was a space where I felt grounded and connected. I met people who cared about the same things I did, and together we created opportunities for other humanities students to thrive.
All of this happened while I was commuting from Newmarket four days a week for three hours each day, spending 10-12 hours on campus daily, taking six courses, working two jobs, balancing personal relationships, finding summer internships, and maintaining my target GPA. It wasn’t easy. There were days when I questioned whether I could manage it all, and moments when the exhaustion caught up to me. My physical and mental health took hits. But I was fortunate: I had mentors who believed in me, classmates who supported me, and programs that kept me afloat. And along the way, I made lifelong connections—both personal and professional—that I’ll carry with me forever.
This article is a celebration, but it’s also a message to every student out there who’s pushing through. Whether you’re commuting, working, caregiving, or simply trying to stay afloat—your efforts are valid. Your struggles are real. And you’re not alone. Being a student today is hard. But we build communities in the cracks between lectures. We find mentors in office hours and friends in classes. We grow not just in knowledge, but in compassion, resilience, and purpose. To every student doing the best they can: I hope that even in the hardest moments, when you question whether you can keep going, you, too, can find beauty amidst the chaos.
By Sana Paracha
I'm a third-year Humanities and Philosophy student at York University. I enjoy reading, writing, and going down YouTube rabbit holes, watching things that help me think about how people make sense of the world and their place in it. I'm interested in questions about culture, history, and religion, and I hope to continue exploring them through graduate studies and a future career in academia.
— Sana Paracha