Alumni Spotlight

First, tell us about your days at UCC. 

I studied higher-level IB literature, philosophy and theatre. I was deeply involved in arts at the College: I played saxophone in the jazz and wind ensembles, and was in each year’s classical play — including the role of King Creon in a gunslinging reimagining of Sophocles’ Antigone. I also led a student-directed adaptation of Essay by Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch, made available online. Then I headed off to Oxford.

Having particularly enjoyed literature at UCC, I pursued the subject at Oxford: from Anglo-Saxon poetry through to twenty-first century novels. In addition to literary analysis, historical and cultural contexts were emphasized. Our study of early modern literature — Christopher Marlowe’s plays, John Donne’s poetry, and John Milton’s epic — was accompanied by a consideration of conflicting trains of thought during each of the Reformation and English Civil War, and the transformation of England from a small island off the coast of Europe to a globe-spanning empire. While we covered the classical ‘canon,’ we also examined political treatises, Puritan diaries, and the writing of medieval Christian mystics. A term was devoted to Shakespeare and the context of his plays and sonnets. 

Each week we were tasked with writing essays on a topic of our choosing, after which we met in small groups of two or three students, along with the professor, to discuss and defend our positions. I would read my essay aloud in front of my professor and classmates, and if anyone took issue with something I wrote, or if they thought there was something to add, they would interrupt. I would then have an opportunity to defend, or perhaps modify my argument. I found the combination of self-directed research and open debate exciting. Beyond the tutorials, I attended lectures, participated in informal reading clubs, and took part in larger, discussion-based classes. A final highlight was the dissertation, an opportunity to complete research and write in depth on a topic of my choosing. I examined the early Puritan writers in North America, and the distinct ‘American ethos’ reflected in their works.

I was affiliated with New College and eager to participate in music and drama, but the pandemic limited these activities; I then shifted ground and wrote for two Oxford publications, Cherwell and The Isis. The former dwelt more on politics and current events, while the latter was primarily literary. I also served as the International Representative in student government, planning events and helping create a sense of community for international students. But beyond these was the overall atmosphere of Oxford. There are so many thoughtful people, both knowledgeable and passionate about their subjects. Speaking events involved prominent experts from different fields.

I took an internship with Alsama, a startup NGO in Lebanon that provides informal schooling for refugees. I helped develop an exam to validate students’ education, which could then open doors to higher education and professional employment. I first worked for the organization in Lebanon, and later in London.

Since returning to Canada in April, I’ve been assembling my application to law school. My education at both UCC and Oxford helped prepare this path by strengthening my abilities in research, writing and argument. Literature might be seen to overlap with law. As the law allows the plaintiff and defendant an opportunity to present a case for the jury to evaluate, literature provides us with characters — themselves possessed of stories — and as readers we interpret. This is perhaps especially evident in the work of writers such as Chaucer, Shakespeare and Milton who, notwithstanding their backgrounds and biases, provide characters with authentic and persuasive voices.

UCC prepared me well for the challenges of Oxford. Harkness table discussions in UCC’s humanities classrooms encouraged open dialogue and debate, skills that proved invaluable in Oxford tutorials. My UCC higher-level courses required regular journals, reflections on the work: these too were great preparation. One of the best things about UCC is the scope of co-curricular opportunity. No matter what a student’s interest, UCC provides an opportunity not only to explore, but to excel.