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Meet Claire, a fourth-year English student!

By: Claire Hrabovsky
June 12, 2024

Hello! I’m so glad you’re here.

I’m Claire, your new student ambassador. I just wrapped up my third year of the English program here at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). It feels a bit scary to put myself out there like this, but I’m genuinely SO excited to spend the summer with you as your (virtual) guide to all things TMU. 

Claire smiling at the camera in the SLC.

So, a little bit about myself — I’m from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and commute to campus by taking the GO train (external link, opens in new window)  and the TTC (external link, opens in new window) . I enjoy the commute (if there are no delays), and sometimes it can be pretty peaceful. Having a good book to read and listening to a carefully curated playlist always helps too. 

Right now, I’ve been listening to a lot of The Lumineers, Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey. I’m also a big concert-goer and attended six concerts in 2023. I love the feeling of being in a room with hundreds of other people who feel as passionate about music as I do. 

The Lumineers performing alongside bright lights and confetti on Budweiser Stage.

I saw The Lumineers live in concert at Budweiser Stage back in 2022, and it was one of the best nights of my life.

I also love to read in my spare time. As an English major, it’s nearly impossible for me to list only one favourite book, but if I had to choose one, The Secret History by Donna Tartt (external link, opens in new window)  is probably my top pick. If you haven’t read it yet, I would highly recommend it!

An assortment of books organized on a wooden bookshelf.

My book collection is my prized possession. 

Without my love for storytelling, I would have never found TMU’s English program and all of the opportunities that this program has to offer. Throughout my time here, I’ve been a member of the Fiction Committee on the White Wall Review (external link, opens in new window) , which is the English Department’s creative writing journal. I also had a chance to write articles for TMU’s Her Campus chapter (external link, opens in new window)  where I covered everything from fashion and wellness, to pop culture and entertainment.

Besides listening to music and reading, I also spend a lot of time hanging out with my cat, O’Malley. He’s probably the silliest cat I’ve ever known. He loves to steal small objects from my room and hide them around my house, so he’s also a thief.

An orange cat sitting on a blanket.

O’Malley might be a troublemaker, but he’s also my best friend. 

Now that I’ll be entering my fourth year, I’ve had a lot of time to learn the ins and outs of TMU, and reflect on my time here as a student. I hope that by sharing my experiences with you, we can both learn something new about ourselves.

Well, that’s all for now. If you’re still here, thank you for reading all the way to the end. Stay tuned for more blogs from me this summer!

Talk to you soon,

Claire