The Family Care Office congratulates all graduates at this time of the year, but especially the students who have juggled family life and academics over the past few challenging years!

Our former UTM Outreach and Communications Coordinator, Maria Hussain, writes about her own graduation, as well as her son’s kindergarten graduation in a beautiful reflection piece. Congratulations, Maria!

“I graduated a day before my son did.

He finished his kindergarten and I finished my bachelor’s at University of Toronto.
He is stepping up into grade 1 and I am stepping up from a student to now an employee at U of T.
He is is saying goodbye to his first 5 years of life and I am saying hello to my thirties.
He is watching me grow up with him as I watch him no longer fit in my arms the way he used to.

It is as important for our kids to watch us accomplish our goals as it is for us to see them fly. As parents we inspire our children before anyone else. And in return our children inspire us everyday. It was my children who inspired me to restart my academic journey and who gave me the strength to pull through. They watched me go to class and they sat with me in my zoom classes.

It was four years of me learning how to do close-readings and analysis of 10 books at once while also making sure we were prepared for birthdays, playdates, doctor visits, field trips, middle of the night ER visits, days with no groceries and days when all we did was grocery shopping. It was four years of watching my son go from singing the ABC song to go on writing a full page on ‘My Family’. It was watching COVID hit and not knowing the future anymore. It was 4 years of the most peaceful chaos life has ever given me. And I am finally happy to say “WE did it!”

Here’s to a lifetime of growing together 🎓”

#convocation2023 #uoftgrad23 #learning #future