School can be extremely overwhelming and it may be impossible at times to devote your time to anything but academia. In the process people tend to forget about everything else this great school has to offer. U of T is a multicultural school in every aspect. That is how current student Cecelia Pye feels and she wants to change the minds of those who do not love the school. Since the start of her undergraduate career at the university, she has wanted to become involved and be a voice heard among her fellow peers. Always dressed to impress with a friendly smile on her face, she is the student that anyone would love to know.
Cecelia majors in Urban Planning with hopes of one day being able to design and organize a city. While that dream may still be in its preliminary stages, she is preparing herself by becoming an avid participant in activities around campus. She plays for the school’s varsity tennis team, starting strong by occupying the number two spot out of 18 girls in her first year on the team. Practices can be time consuming with training twice a week and normally three matches a weekend during the playing season. But this hasn’t stopped her from spreading the joys of tennis by becoming an official tennis instructor for U of T. You can find her Friday mornings at the Athletic Center energetically teaching the sport to fellow students. Aside from just playing she helps to state the needs of the team by representing the tennis team at Varsity Board meetings. She also keeps active by dropping in on classes offered at the Athletic Center and Hart House, like Zumba and Triple Blast, as well as playing intramural volleyball. While she may not be a pro at this sport, she always has fun trying. It is not about the skills but rather confidence in what you are doing. Just playing is not enough for this girl, she also acts as the Co-Chair of the Council of Athletics and Recreation. Her tasks include running sub-committees related to the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Activity, heading meetings, collecting ideas and informing others. She works hard to make sure everyone is in the loop and that the club is organized. Her recent achievements include advocating for the building of another gym facility and allowing more room for all students to play intramural sports. The future sports facility will be named the Goldring Center for High Performance Sport and built next to the Varsity Stadium. Her love of physical activity makes her encourage others of all faculties and ability levels to join in.
With such a busy schedule, Cecelia still makes time for her social life. When de-stressing and relaxing is in order she can be seen dancing the night away or simply playing games and watching television with friends. She says that balance is key, all work and no play would cause any person to break down, so it’s important to allocate you’re time to different interests. So far her good grades and accomplishments have proven this to be true.
Often around campus you can hear people complaining about any aspect of U of T. Cecelia thinks differently, instead she opts to love the school and the opportunities it has brought her as well as the people she has met. Her confidence to try new things and become involved has helped Cecelia become successful in her time of U of T. She believes that the main thing is to keep positive and believe in yourself. Make the best of every situation.