MAYA by SCSU

M A Y A

I have a certain way of being in this world, and I shall not, I shall not be moved. – Dr. Maya Angelou, “ Our Grandmothers”

featuring (in order of apperance) UYA N GA DA S H D O R J S A L MA S HA R I F F LU U L A HA S S A N DAV R I E L L E NA R G E S HA S S A N G R AY S O N C H O N G L E O N TS A I TA S N E E M M E WA KALI BANNER S U S A N K HA N C A R M I NA S A N TOS S Y LVI E S TO J A N OVS KI A N N I E S A HAG IA N L A M IA FI R A S TA AU D R E Y LU G U T E R A H MA R I B A D O U G L A S R AC H E L Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; S O UZ A VA N ES S A VI G N ES WA R A M O O RT HY ASHLEY MORRIS A QS A C H OW D H U RY R AC H E L WAG N E R

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uyanga dashdorj DO YOU HAVE A QUOTE YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE BY? Even though I’m 24 years old now, I’ve only started to realize/ponder the essence of my being. About 2 years ago, I read Maya Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Woman” (coincidentally enough, the journal is titled Maya!) So one of my all-time favorite phrases that I live by is a line from the poem, and it goes: I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me. WHAT IS THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO? Sade and Billie Holiday. They are phenomenally talented and brilliantly amazing at what they do. The last song I listened to is “Kiss of Life” by Sade, but the song previously played to that is Billie Holiday’s “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FORM OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION? Growing up, I developed a special fondness for poetry as I started reading Russian and Mongolian literary classics in school. The range of expressions, the richness of the vocabulary, the conveying of emotions and feelings through words is simply amazing. And so I started to collect my favorite poems, phrases, quotes in a sketchbook. But simply handwriting them wasn’t enough for a visual person like me, so I started to dabble in calligraphy. The beautiful messages of the poems and phrases combined with a visually appealing presentation of those messages is a deadly combination if you ask me.

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salma shar if f WHO IS A WOMAN THAT INSPIRES YOU?

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Mona Eltahawy! Her cycles of self rebirth and regeneration, self-discovery and her affronts to societal expectations and patriarchy in particular remind me that conforming to commonly shared ideals about womanhood and roles in general are a choice, and one that I do not have to make.Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s provocative, rebellious, and sports fiery red hair and artistic tattoos at 50. An icon. WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE? Love looks like unconditional support and validation. Love will be there in dark times and celebrate you in good times. I show love by continuously reminding my close ones what they mean to me and how I am fully there for them. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FORM OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION? Poetry! It allows me to heal by realizing my thoughts and experiences in words and phrases that make sense to the soul but not necessarily in conventional speech. Poetry is me speaking in a dialect of my own.

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luula hassan WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? WHAT TELEVISION SHOW (S) ARE YOU WATCHING? I’m currently reading “Exit West” by Mohsin Hamid and I’ve recently started watching “Black Lightning” (“Black Panther” motivated me!). WHAT’S THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO? “Slide” by Frank Ocean & Migos HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS FOR YOURSELF? I don’t think waiting for a particular event, position, or job defines my success. For me, success comes in stages and moments. I define success as contentment with my decisions and choices.

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davrielle IS THERE A QUOTE YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE BY? M A Y A

“Life is like a buffet, you take what you want and leave the rest.” - Grandma Kitty WHAT’S THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO? A song called “Watching” which will be a single on my upcoming album that I am currently working on. Keep checking www.davrielle.ca for more information on that. WHAT SEMINAL MOMENTS HAVE TAUGHT YOU THE MOST ABOUT LIFE? I know it’s a cliché but the negative things I have experienced have made me grow and realize what actions I take in those sorts of situations. Negative experiences make you uncomfortable and when you get out of your comfort zone you are forced to grow and I have seen that time and time again in my life.

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narges hassan WHAT IN LIFE HAS TAUGHT YOU ABOUT YOURSELF?

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Age ten was when life decided to give birth to my depression and anxiety. These monsters tortured me physically and mentally throughout my life. It gave me so many reasons to fall and fail. It forced me to walk through brick walls, when I had the chance to walk through a free open door. However these monsters made me realize that I’m not a failure and that I can strongly walk through brick walls and still find my way to succeed. It taught me how to be a powerful fighter and never give up.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST GRATEFUL FOR? I am grateful for having the most amazing and understanding parents. They are my strength, my backbone and my lifeline. I thank them with all my heart for helping me walk through all my failures and unlocking me from a dark room that my depression and anxiety trapped me in. WHAT ARE SOME DREAMS YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF? My dream is to bring a proud smile on my dad’s face and hear him say “Narges, you have fulfilled all my dreams that I wished for you to have.” Also my dream is to be more open about my mental health so I can inspire young people and help them get through the rough times.

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grayson chong WHAT ARE SOME CHARACTER TRAITS YOU ADMIRE MOST ABOUT WOMEN? There is a quote that I heard when I was thirteen: “So plant your own flowers and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.” These lines are part of a larger poem entitled, “Comes the Dawn” by Veronica A. Shoffstall. This quote resonates with me because I admire women who are unafraid to be their authentic selves, who decorate their own souls, so to speak. I look up to women who are giving, compassionate, and resilient. The strongest women in my life are the ones that live their truths – totally and unapologetically. WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS? Success, to me, is a journey towards becoming the best version of yourself. So, success for me has always been about striving to be a better person than I was the day before, whether that be in thought, action, or deed. It’s constant growth towards self-improvement. HOW WOULD THE THREE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CHARACTER? If the three people closest to me had to describe my character to others, they would probably say I am kind, loving, and meticulous.

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leon tsai WHAT IN LIFE HAS TAUGHT YOU ABOUT YOURSELF? OTHERS?

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Life has taught me that I’m resilient, that my strength lies within my softness and that I can be proud with my femininity, sensuality, and softness. Life has taught me that I’m capable of achieving great things and that I can be anyone who I choose to be. Life has taught me that just because my art isn’t being appreciated yet, doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful. Life has taught me to respect and appreciate others’ art, craft, work, and to find the beauty within everyone. Life has taught me that we will never stop learning how to live until our last breath, and that we’re all in this journey together. WHO IS A WOMAN THAT INSPIRES YOU?

Women who inspire me are all women, all women who are doing their WERK and surviving through their rough times. Women who support and empower each other. Women who carry their past and still hold their heads up high towards the sun. WHAT DOES SELF-LOVE MEAN TO YOU AND HOW DO YOU SHOW IT TO YOURSELF? Self-Love to me is a journey, which is unique and different for all. I strive to find healing, yet sometimes it’s embracing my wounds and scars instead of trying to heal them. Knowing that I am hurt, and that sometimes I’m not okay. I’m still learning how to love myself everyday, and sometimes it feels like I’ll never be able to love myself fully yet I’m inspired by my love and passion for the world around me. I love you enough to want to love myself, too.

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t a s neem mewa WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTES? “I take a deep breath and pick up my pen.” - JP Delaney, from “The Girl Before” M

“Normality is a paved road; it’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow.” - Vincent van Gogh “[She] attacked everything in life with a mix of extraordinary genius and naive incompetence, and it was often difficult to tell which was which.” - Douglas Adams WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? Good food and great conversations. WHAT IS A DREAM YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF? Enjoying being relentlessly critical of development practices while working tirelessly to offer hopeful, practical, and equitable alternatives.

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kali banner WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOURSELF WHEN YOU ARE NOT FEELING YOUR BEST? I practice forgiveness and drink endless cups of my “happy tea” (which is honestly just peppermint tea). Funneling positive energy into a cup of tea is a perfect reminder for me to take care of myself. M A Y A

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FORM OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION? I’ve been told I learned to dance before I learned to walk. Dancing allows me to feel a sense of release and accomplishment that I can’t find with any other form of creative expression. My goal in life is to become a burlesque queen. Still working on that. WHO IS A WOMAN THAT INSPIRES YOU? WHY? The woman that inspires me the most is my twin sister. Because we look the same, people assume we have the same character traits but we are quite different. My sister has an air of comfort to her that I rarely find in anyone else (including myself). She has a warm heart and open mind full of curiosity, humour, and patience. I look up to her in more ways than she’ll ever truly know. She’s the one person who knows how to challenge me and keep me motivated.

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susan khan HOW DO YOU EXPERIENCE YOUR IDENTITY? Growing up as a brown muslim girl in North America meant a lot of self-hatred towards myself. I was embarrassed of being both brown and Muslim. The news on war on terror and racist jokes fueled my insecurities, as well as cultural norms towards “how to be a woman” from both my own culture and the North American culture. HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO CULTIVATE SELF-LOVE? M

I had to find self-love by first separating myself from these groups and realizing my own, individual, identity through the way I chose to dress, the media I chose to watch and listen to and above all doing things that made me happy and benefited me. Of course, it is impossible to actually separate my womanhood from my brown-ness, and I have learned that my unique circumstances make me who I am – a woman of great strength. HOW HAVE YOU SHARED THE LOVE YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF WITH OTHERS? I have found more love within myself by sharing this strength with other women and by creating a circle of women who simultaneously inspire and support each other. (I LOVE NANA).

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carmina santos DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE QUOTE YOU LIVE BY? “She is clothed with strength and dignity. She laughs without fear of the future.” - Proverbs 31:25 WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOURSELF WHEN YOU ARE NOT FEELING THE BEST?

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The human brain is not meant to process the amount of tragedy that we are subjected to daily. It’s easy to feel helpless by the weight of the world and pass global issues as “somebody else’s problem.” But if you are passionate about anything: do something. No matter how big or small, seek opportunities in being active towards helping a cause you care about. Consider how you can contribute a bit of time or money. Educate yourself. Share your message. Share your voice. I know that there are empathetic people in the world. I see it every day. As human beings, we have an innate sense to help one another. We are all learning and growing. Push yourself to not only do better, but to do good. WHAT IS SELF-LOVE AND HOW DO YOU PRACTICE IT? Let’s expand the idea of self-care beyond just face masks and spa days. Seek to unlearn negative self-talk and practice empathy towards others and yourself. For me, self-love comes from genuine self acceptance of yourself. Self-actualization is embedded in the path of happiness. The only thing that is constant in life is change. We are constantly growing and evolving as people. Denouncing change puts you at odds with yourself. It’s okay to be wrong. Admit your faults. Own up to your mistakes. Learn from life’s lessons and aim to become better. I hope we can all strive to have no judgement towards ourselves and fully accept who we are as individuals.

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sylvie stojanovski WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE? “Live for the moments you can’t put into words.”

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WHAT GIVES YOU HAPPINESS? 27

Helping build communities through art-making. Seeing people grow and realize their full potential. Being part of something “bigger” than myself. WHAT CHARACTER TRAITS DO YOU MOST ADMIRE IN WOMEN? Strength, perseverance, and empathy. Women use their gifts and talents to empower themselves and others.

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annie sahagian WHAT EVENTS IN YOUR LIFE HAVE TAUGHT YOU THE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF AND OTHERS? People say that during hardship, you will find out who truly loves you and thinks about you. Most of the people who know me on campus know that I am Armenian Syrian who moved to Canada after the Syrian crisis. This event of me moving from my home country, made me realize and discover a lot about my ‘friends’ and myself. I’ve found that I am such a durable person who at such a young age learned how to be mature and look at the positive side of things. I discovered how I am so quick at adapting to a new environment and language. I discovered how curious I am to explore my surroundings and how I am so driven to grow on campus and in the community. Regarding others, I discovered that some ‘friends’ were never real friends. However, I discovered how some friends can never replace and never forget you. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR? Since my childhood, I have had one favourite top colour that has always stayed the same. It is GREEN. All shades of green. This colour brings me peacefulness and my mind a sense of calm. It brings me hope and positivity that one day after the hard, cold times of winter and autumn, summer and spring will come back, and I will see the green leaves again. I love the smell of the trees when a breeze comes along. WHAT IS A PHRASE YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE BY? You gotta do what you gotta do so have fun while doing it! Give up, NO. Try again, YES.

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lamia firasta HOW DO YOU DEFINE SELF-LOVE?

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The idea of self-love to me is taking yourself out on a date, taking the time to figure out how to love yourself despite your insecurities and anxiety. Figuring out what you like, what you don’t like, things you’d like to change, things you love. The catch is that you’re not just going out on one date, you’re going on so many dates with yourself, some won’t be good but some will be beautiful and those ‘dates’ teach us all about ourselves. So, take yourself out on a date of self-love! DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE QUOTE YOU LIVE BY? Ashley Graham says that “If you don’t love who you are, you’re never going to feel 100 percent satisfied in life. It all starts with you. If you don’t love you, nobody else is going to be able to.” This is the hardest thing to do but I live by it! WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE TO YOU? HOW DO YOU SHOW LOVE? When love comes to mind, by default we think of romantic love, but I think beyond romantic. There’s love between friendships, there’s love between siblings, there’s love between a mother and her child, a father and his child, there’s love between strangers, and lastly there’s always love for ourselves. I show love by asking how your day went, I show love by listening to your stories. I show love by making silly jokes. I show love in my writing through my poetry.

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audrey lug uterah WHAT DOES ‘SELF-LOVE’ MEAN TO YOU? HOW DO YOU PRACTICE IT? In my humble opinion, self-love is first and foremost an inside job; nothing or no one can give us the love we are required to give ourselves. Self-love is a journey that demands honesty and openness as well as requires us to choose ourselves, give to ourselves and accept ourselves wholly. I truly believe that self-love is the beginning of an individual achieving their dreams and aspirations. I think one way I show myself self-love is being kind to myself and giving myself time to breath, netflix, walk, create or listen to music. WHAT ARE YOU MOST GRATEFUL FOR? I am most grateful for my life ...This world is wild and it’s easy to complain. But, as I take a step back I am reminded of political, economic and social unrest, slavery, attacks on basic humanity, the clean water crisis, mass shootings, lack of affordable housing, homelessness, dysfunction within families (unfortunately the list goes on) happening all around me. There are many people all over the world that have spent most of their lives seeking that which I have and I am no better than anyone in any of these situations. This makes me restless and anxious but keeps me humble... and grateful... it’s a blessing. WHAT’S THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO? “Christian Baller” - Gil Joe

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mariba douglas WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE TO YOU? Love is transgressive and moves between bodies in remarkable ways. It is because of love that we can feel the warmth of embraces that function to heal souls, transform minds, and liberate folks from the structures that often seek to dictate the bounds of their existence. Love takes many forms, and every example of how we feel or experience love aids in helping us to collectively imagine the possibility of an unwritten future that also welcomes a revolutionary acceptance of difference. HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS FOR YOURSELF? M A Y A

My definition of success has antecedents in intersecting histories of love, labour and acts of resistance. My success, therefore, cannot be defined by the arbitrary clarification of people through statistics. Instead, it is measured by my spirit, the kindness of my heart and the love I have for my community. Though I am in the process of trying to achieve this success on Turtle Island, its roots extend to many parts of the world, and is the result of the unwavering support of many. WHO IS A WOMAN THAT INSPIRES YOU? I am inspired by my Mother. She is a vessel of knowledge, culture and change. She has birthed life, broken boundaries and challenged paradigms of what Black women can accomplish. This photo journal is as much an honour for her, as it is for me. In naming me, she wanted to ensure that I would always be aware of the history of greatness and creativity from which I come. Hence, I was blessed with the middle name Maya â&#x20AC;&#x201C; after the great Maya Angelou herself.

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rachel d’souza WHAT IS SELF-LOVE?

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Self-love, to me, means learning to accept yourself. It means acknowledging your faults and learning to love them. It also means forgiving yourself for your mistakes – which I find to be really difficult. It’s a continuous process and I still have a lot of learning to do.

WHAT WORDS DO YOU LIVE BY? “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” - Maya Angelou WHAT TELEVISION SHOW ARE YOU WATCHING RIGHT NOW? “Schitt’s Creek.” I know it sounds bad but I swear it’s funny so give it a try!

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vanessa vigneswaramoorthy WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE COLOURS? Robin’s egg blue, royal purple, and mint green. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FORM OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION? I love to write. I’ve been writing since I was about ten. I mostly write poems, but I’ve dabbled in everything from fiction to screenwriting. I spent a lot of my childhood thinking that no one would really care about stories like mine. But the more I write, and the more I share what I’ve written, the more I realize that writing isn’t just therapeutic for me, but that people do care about what I have to say. Writing gave me a voice I didn’t know I had.

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WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE TO YOU? HOW DO YOU SHOW LOVE? Love is being present. Love is paying attention. Love is remembering the birthday of a friend who hates birthdays, just so you know when to avoid the topic. Love is keeping inside jokes going. Love is dropping everything because a friend wants to go out, get all-you-can-eat sushi and talk about life. Love is checking in on a friend who you know has been feeling down. Love is 1 AM pep-talks over the phone. Love is being there to fill seats. Love is making sure your friend has eaten three meals a day. Love is calling your mom each night before you go to bed. I used to be really reserved when it came to telling my friends and family how much they mattered to me. But the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve realized that those people aren’t going to be around forever, so it’s important to be open and honest about how amazing they are now. But I think it’s also important to remember that love can be exhausting sometimes. Or it can feel like you’re giving everything away and getting nothing in return. And I think, in those moments, that it’s important to show love for yourself as well. If you take care of yourself, that means you’re in the right frame of mind to care for others as well.

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ashley morris WHAT HAS LIFE TAUGHT YOU? Life has taught me that it’s very much okay to not have it all together. I used to get extremely caught up in trying to maintain what I believed to be perfection in all areas of my life, and it almost broke me. It took some time for me to realize the perfection in my imperfections, and the beauty that comes with failing and the learning of a new lesson. WHO IS A WOMAN THAT INSPIRES YOU?

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My mother is my inspiration. She is the strongest woman that I (or anyone else in my opinion) has ever known and she just continues to amaze me everyday. I think of her in everything that I do. To me, she is the epitome of strength, compassion, intelligence, and beauty. No matter what I accomplish in my life, the greatest thing that I’ll ever be is the daughter of Annette Effs-Morris. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR? My favourite colour is black. And before you try to say anything about it being a shade, I don’t care, it’s still the best colour out there. Some folks see black as being melancholy, or too dark, or too intimidating or menacing. To me, that’s not it at all. Black is strong. It’s versatile, and layered, and when I think of the colour black, I see a million different images in my mind. I see my favourite articles of clothing, or a clear night sky filled with stars, or my reflection when I look into a mirror. To some, black may just be a colour, or a shade, but for me, black is everyyyyything, honey. Black is a movement.

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aqsa chowdhury WHAT ARE YOU MOST GRATEFUL FOR?

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Life and being alive every single day and getting to feel every wonderful experience, including my loved ones and the amazing memories i have collected over the years of living and being the coolest person. WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? Lit people, laughing so hard I wanna pee, sunny days, iced coffee, summer time, Mrs.Field’s White Macadamia nut cookies, cold natural coconut water, Chatime, loving life. WHAT IS THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO? “Hurt to Look” – Swae lee ft. Rae Sremmurd L

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rachel wagner WHAT IN LIFE HAS TAUGHT YOU THE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF AND OTHERS? New chapters have been catalyzed by people; the right people made me realize I derive strength from compassion and understanding for others. I volunteer at Sick Kids Hospital, where I met a sweet little girl undergoing treatment. Her cancer was progressive; following a particularly devastating surgery, the pain in their eyes have stuck in my memory as the moment I began to realize I want to be a doctor, which has changed the focus of my life dramatically. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOURSELF WHEN YOU ARE NOT FEELING YOUR BEST? When bad moments happen, I like spending time laughing with someone I love or watching my favourite shows, to help me see that whatever’s happened isn’t the end of the world. It helps to remember that I have so much to be grateful for, like my education and the opportunities I’ve been afforded as a result, things that other people just as capable as I am have to fight for. WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE TO YOU AND HOW DO YOU SHOW IT? Love is unwavering respect, and willingness to adapt for others’ happiness. I recently met the equally busy wife of a medical student and asked her how they find time for each other. She said they make time while commuting or grocery shopping, and while that’s difficult, she knows he’s who she wants. It’s not always glamorous, or Instagram-worthy, but love means no obstacle is insurmountable.

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about maya There is no single way to adequately define who a woman is or who they have the power to be. Women are creators, organizers, friends, partners, survivors, and all of these things and more at the same time. This journal, however, is not so much interested in these titles, but rather, the content of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character. As creators of the first photo journal series profiling self-identified women at UTSC, we were interested in celebrating women in their extraordinary ordinariness. This journal looks to showcase the women of our campus who before titles and accolades, are kind, thoughtful, and invested in the well-being of others. These women were nominated by their peers, who in their applications wrote about the ways these women have changed our campus simply by existing. As I enter my final few months at UTSC, I give gratitude to the women who have rooted for me, challenged me, loved me, laughed with me, produced panels and workshops and campaigns with me, cried with me, and encouraged me. All of you are MAYA women and I thank you for your willingness to be vulnerable. In particular, I would like to thank my sisters and my momma who are tangible examples of what love looks like. To the late Dr. Maya Angelou, thank you for choosing courage every time, and making way for others to do the same. You were the inspiration and foundation for this work. To Sahar, for whom this journal would not be possible, thank you for being the vessel through which the dream was actualized. Thank you for your talent, patience, and belief in this project. To the self-identified women in this journal, thank you for allowing us to celebrate you in this way. To all MAYA women, this journal is a love letter to you. May it encourage you to believe that who you are, irrespective of titles and accolades, is more than enough. To God be the glory, always. In gratitude, Nana Frimpong