Student Profile Chelsea

University transition as an international student 

Born in Toronto but raised in Beijing, China, Chelsea wanted to reconnect with her roots when choosing which university she would go to. Once she arrived, she appreciated supports like the International Student Orientation program, which helps connect international students while introducing them to the campus and city a few weeks before classes. This was such a positive experience for her that she later became involved as a second year mentor in the program. She also found the college system to be helpful, as it provided a sense of community and her college - Victoria - hosted several seminars for international students on topics like the Canadian banking system, immigration status, visas, and even had immigration officers come in to answer questions for students. She also cites U of T St. George’s Centre for International Experience (CIE) as a helpful resource in easing this transition. 
 

Life outside the classroom 

Seeking to expand her leadership skills and community involvement, Chelsea participated in many extracurricular experiences throughout her undergraduate years. Through being a campus tour guide, she was able to strengthen her communication skills, speaking to prospective students and showing them around campus. She has also found this to be a very fulfilling role that she doesn’t take for granted, as the pandemic disrupted her ability to experience an in-person tour when she was exploring universities. She also served as a Team Coordinator for U of T Student Life’s Innovation Hub, where she provided quality assurance to student research projects and recommended areas of improvement in university functions to better the student experience. Lastly, she volunteered as a member of U of T’s Trash Team, where she helped with community outreach within Toronto. Through this club, she learned of environmental literacy and action opportunities she was previously unaware of, like city-wide clean-ups. 
 

Learning abroad 

After her third year, Chelsea spent her summer abroad in Japan, studying “Workplace Conflicts in the Cultural Context” for an Industrial Relations course. In this course, which served as a foundation to human relations, students visited Japanese workplaces, talked to employees, and learned about how to negotiate in times of conflict. Chelsea says this was one of her favourite classes she took during her undergrad.