Serving up an Iron Ring with side of squash
Thandi Myers (Year 4 CivE) plays on U of T’s Varsity Blues Women’s squash team and is to graduate this year. CivMin had a chat with this international student to see how she’s balanced competitive sports, academics and moving to a new country.
Just to start off, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I was born and raised in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which is a multi-island nation in the southern Caribbean with a population of about 110,000 people.
I am a fourth-year civil engineering student. I started out at UofT Engineering in TrackOne and I am a CIV2T1+PEY. I play on the Varsity Blues Women’s squash team.
Last year you were doing your PEY – where did you work?
I worked at R.V. Anderson Associates Limited, as a Student Engineer in their Municipal Group. My role was to assist with various tasks pertaining to the design and contract administration of water, wastewater, and transportation infrastructure projects in Toronto. I was happy to be exposed to the engineering consulting world in a supportive work environment, especially during the challenging times of 2020-2021.
What attracted you to U of T in the first place?
I was looking for, and really wanted, an international student experience. At the top of my priorities was a school that had a really good academic reputation. Funny enough, I never heard about the University of Toronto before my sister (Deiriai Myers) applied in 2016, one year before I did.
When my sister came to U of T she found out more about the Engineering program through her connections and that’s how I was introduced to U of T Engineering. It’s global ranking and reputation for research and teaching was impressive, and my parents were pleased to send me off to join her. I really liked U of T Engineering because of the TrackOne program ,which I eventually got accepted into, because I wasn’t sure which discipline I wanted to major in.
What’s your sister taking at U of T?
She graduated in 2020 with a Honours Bachelor of Science in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, and Health and Disease.
Is she in the thick of anything COVID related?
Actually, the pandemic opened her eyes to Public Health as a field of study so she is now pursuing a Master’s of Public Health with a focus in epidemiology at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Besides studying Civil Engineering, you’re also a competitive athlete here at U of T as a Varsity Blues squash player. Can you tell us a bit about that experience?
It’s definitely one of the highlights of my university experience. When I came to university, it was important for me to continue playing squash but I wasn’t sure about committing to varsity-level sport, especially in my first year. I’m very curious by nature, so I did some research on the squash team and saw they were having a pre-tryouts meeting in mid-September. I mustered up the courage to find the Blue and White Room at the Varsity Centre, where the meeting was being held. I went in with the intention to just get a feel of the team and hear about the practice and travel schedule. The coaches and players were welcoming and excited about the varsity squash team. I still wasn’t sure at the end of the meeting, but I was encouraged by the coaches to give it a try.
I’d been playing squash for quite some time. It was my main extra-curricular activity for many of my childhood years. I loved competing on my junior national team in the Caribbean circuit and I even had the opportunity to play at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa.
I was feeling very ambitious, and up for the challenge, and so I encouraged my sister who was not as inquisitive in her first year to come and tryout for the team too. Going to that meeting was one of the best decisions that I’ve made at university.
You both played for U of T at the same time. Did you ever wind up being matched against each other?
We’ve never played against each other in a tournament at university since we always play against other schools but we’ve played against each other in team practice.
Are you still playing competitively?
I played my final university competition at the OUA [Ontario Universities Athletics] Championship on the March 11th-13th weekend in St. Catharines (Ont.). The women’s team placed fourth, so we just missed the podium. The men’s team ended their weekend with silver.
We definitely had a good weekend of competition; lots of exciting on-court battles. The camaraderie, the team spirit and the genuine enthusiasm on display by our team was excellent. The season wasn’t short of challenges, as we had to pause practices over the winter break and into January, due to the rising COVID-19 cases in Ontario. Additionally, many of us hadn’t played competitively between March 2020 and the summer of 2021 so we were beyond excited to train and play again. We had lots of fun and that’s always most important to us.
You must have a pretty full schedule with balancing academics and training. You must practice several times a week and then you have your class schedule. How do you balance all that with your personal time?
It’s a very dynamic situation. I try to prioritize activities as I go.
I think my teammates would agree with me when I say that our coaches are extremely instrumental to our well-being as student-athletes. They have always been very understanding and flexible. Honestly, there are some days when you just cannot commit to both practice and classes. Sometimes there’s an overlap between class or group meetings and practice times or the academic workload is too heavy on some days just before a midterm.
Our team practices on evenings at the Athletic Centre squash courts. I return to my residence after practice and then I study or I head to bed and study in the morning before classes. Fitting everything into one-day is really tough with an Engineering schedule, but after sitting in classes all day, I feel like I need to get active. Squash practice gives me the chance to do just that.
It’s good that we have access to high-quality athletic facilities on campus. I have the option to train outside of official practice times if I can’t make it to a team practice.
You didn’t know about U of T previously, but had you ever visited Canada before attending university?
Yes, I visited Vancouver in 2009 on a family trip. I remember walking around the UBC campus quite a bit as my Dad knew his way around having been a Master’s student there at some point. It was my first exposure to a Canadian university campus. I also visited the Whistler Mountains, Capilano Suspension Bridge and Vancouver Island. I have fond memories of my time in B.C.
I’d heard a lot about Toronto growing up, mainly because there’s a big Caribbean community here, but my first time in Toronto was when I moved here for university in 2017.
How did you find the weather? Our winters are kind of notorious in Canada. Was it a shock for you? How did you adjust?
The summer evenings were chilly for me even though the temperature was in the low 20s so I’d always wear a light sweater.
I still remember in the Fall of my first year how nervous I was about walking outside in 12-degree weather from the Mechanical Engineering building to the Athletic Centre. I had my waterproof rain jacket with me, I looked at the weather on my phone thinking, “How am I going to make it to the AC?”
So Toronto, it’s just cold. In my defense, there was nothing I could do to prepare myself for this weather.
It really hit me in my first year that I took the weather for granted while living in the Caribbean – it’s about 27 degrees every day, all year round and its sunny almost every day. Needless to say, I had to invest in a new wardrobe when I moved to Toronto.
Have you had a chance to visit anywhere else in Canada? Have you been able to play a tourist and visit anywhere while here?
I’ve been to Ottawa with family and Montreal with some of my engineering friends. With the squash team I’ve been to Kingston, Niagara, and some other university campuses, like McMaster University in Hamilton [Ont.]. I’ve been to a lot of the iconic tourist sites in Toronto. I’ve done lots of exploring downtown on my own and with my friends from residence. I love taking in the Toronto culture – Raptors games, street festivals, skating in Nathan Phillips Square. Toronto is a great city!
I’ve also been to U of T Camp near Minden [Ont.] – that was my first experience in rural Ontario.
What year did you go to Camp? Did you think it was beneficial or useful?
I was a part of the 2019 summer cohort of campers. Survey Camp is an unforgettable experience. I think it’s instrumental to building community within the Civil and Mineral Engineering group. There are lots of people I really got to know better over two weeks at Camp.
There’s no Wi-Fi, but the experience of working on a team of three on a new task every day is a lot different to what you do in the classroom, so it’s a different learning experience. Camp is as fun as you make it too. The earlier you finish your tasks, the more time you have for bonfires, ping-pong, hanging out in, or near, the lake and visiting the ice cream shop in Minden! Access to such a site as a U of T student is a privilege for us Civil and Mineral Engineering students. The practical experience and knowledge gained at Camp were valuable additions to my engineering toolkit.
You’ll graduate this year. You’ve had some real-world experience already, so reflecting on it, do you think your U of T Engineering education has prepared you to work in the real world?
U of T Engineering is a rigorous program. Outside of the course content, you learn to manage your time, think critically and to be resilient. There are a few things that stand out to me – the exposure to resources across campus for professional and personal development and professors who are very renowned in the work they do. These two contribute to the enriching student experience.
Every day I’m impressed by my peers and their dedication to all they do in their academic and extracurricular lives. They’re very creative people who have pure and good intentions for themselves, and the world.
As for U of T Engineering preparing you for the outside world – yes, definitely. PEY, is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door and practice what you learnt during your first three years in the classroom. It’s a good time to reflect on yourself and what you like in the workplace. The wide array of courses that you can take at U of T, especially in your fourth year is a reflection of the diversity of study and research areas in the Faculty. The capstone projects are all exciting and they really give you a chance to showcase what you have learnt over the past years.
Looking back, do you have any professors who have stood out to you, throughout your time at U of T?
After taking CIV312- Steel and Timber Design I got a lot more interested in a career in structural engineering. It was taught, by PhD candidate Pedram Mortazavi. I was just impressed by his genuine interest in each student. His classes were very interactive and he always gave us the chance to really ask questions, even though we were hesitant about asking them (he could tell that we were sometimes).
I took three courses with Prof. Paul Gauvreau. Outside of his expert knowledge on all things concrete and bridge design, he spoke a lot about the skills that we would need as future engineers based on trends in the industry. He always emphasized the important of being high-quality engineers with a sound understanding of the fundamental principles of the mechanics of materials and the importance of good quality graphics as communication tools
Another course that I enjoyed was CIV280 – Management of Construction which was taught by Professor Brenda McCabe. She was knowledgeable about the construction industry and a highlight of that course was our Friday morning walking tours. Her lectures were very insightful, and they introduced me to a lot of basic construction site procedures. A highlight of the course was our Friday morning walking tours. Professor McCabe made audio recordings explaining site activity the class would listen to individually while visiting construction sites around the city.
As an international student, did you find there are lots of other international students as well? Toronto is perhaps one of the most multicultural cities in the world – have you found that to be the case here? Did you find it easy to fit in and find what you need?
Definitely. Toronto is a very diverse city. I think it is possible to experience a tidbit of every culture here.
There’s definitely a period of adjustment that you have to go through. At U of T, and at U of T Engineering, I think being in a situation where there’s so many international students you feel like you’re a part of that community. So, even though you might be the only person from your country or town, you don’t feel like you’re the odd person out. You feel like many people are going through a similar experience because there are so many international students.
Next door to Galbraith Building, there’s the Centre for International Experience [CIE]. Did you find that useful at all for your needs?
Yes. [The CIE] was very helpful for me when I needed immigration advising, co-op permit application assistance, filing taxes, and understanding health care coverage. As an international student a lot of these things are intimidating and can cause additional stress, so I would always recommend connecting with resources like the CIE to get the advice and help that you need.
Is there any place around campus that you really found you like? Do you have a go-to spot or a maybe a favourite place to hang out on campus or in the downtown?
I loved walking across King’s College Circle to get to the engineering buildings. That big grassy field and King’s College Road which aligned perfectly with the CN Tower was magical. Walking across there was a refreshing way to start the day. I love the E.J. Pratt Library – that’s probably my favorite library.
Randy’s Roti and Doubles was the first place that I found to satisfy my cravings for Caribbean food. It’s been a go-to for me and my Caribbean friends since our first-year. I love their chicken rotis and jerk chicken meals.
I live on campus and I’m a Residence Don this year. So, whenever I need to unwind and get my meals, I head back to residence to connect with residents and my friends over meals.
Is there something unusual, a different hobby or interest you have a hidden talent for?
I play the piano for fun and I like to read non-fiction books in my downtime. I started learning to sing during the pandemic and it’s a lot of fun.
What’s next for you?
There are a lot of exciting things on the horizon amidst the hard work. I’m looking forward to completing my stadium design capstone project and all my other courses. I’m looking forward to GradBall to celebrate our 5 years of hard work with my peers. The iron ring ceremony was surreal and it was great that we could have it in person and celebrate the milestone with each other in the newest engineering building that was still under construction in my first year at UofT.
I’m really looking forward to celebrating Convocation with my family and friends this June, especially because my sister didn’t get an in-person graduation, due to the pandemic, so it’s going to be a big family celebration in June.
I haven’t thought too much about what this summer would look like for me after graduation, but I do look forward to beginning my professional journey as a civil engineer soon.
By Phill Snel