Becky De Oliveira
Becoming a mother changed my life in ways that areboth profound and impossible to fully put into words. Before motherhood, my world revolved mostly around myself and my business— i was on my own schedule, striving to reach my goals, prioritizing my needs, and my sense of who I was. I had a clear vision of what I wanted from life, and I moved through the world with a sense of autonomy that felt natural and, honestly, effortless. But the moment I became a mother, everything shifted. It wasn’t just that I now had a tiny human depending
Anael Domingo
What Changed Me? The moment that truly changed the course of my life was when I made the difficult decision to drop out of the UofT and pursue my passion for becoming a wardrobe stylist. At the time, I was a year into a university program that I had no real interest in. I went through the motions, trying to convince myself that it would all be worth it in the end, but deep down I knew I wasn’t following a path that made me feel fulfilled or excited. I made the bold choice to take a
Tatiana Chisolm
The day I got my first solo apartment changed everything. I grew up in the Bronx—aka NYC—which was always loud, colorful, and full of life. But behind that energy, my own childhood was filled with heavy experiences: surviving cancer, facing periods of homelessness, and carrying emotional weight far too big for my small frame. For years, I never had the chance to let my nervous system slow down, breathe, and process any of it. I was always surviving—never just being. That all shifted the day I moved into my own apartment. It was small, barely decorated, and not
ISIE YANG
I’ve always appreciated visual culture from a young age. I loved going to the library to look at picture books, staring at pretty storefront displays, and watching animated movies. My favourite hobby was always drawing, and I filled my household to the brim with art supplies. I never really gave much thought to my future until I heardother people around me lifting me up and encouraging my work. Ever since I could hold a pen to paper, I have been drawing. I guess that it paid off, because I received my very first A+ in Visual
Alexander Panetta
The Soundtrack of My Life My name is Alexander Panetta, and I am a 21-year-old musical artist, dancer, choreographer, and photographer. I grew up in Mississauga, a city just west of Toronto, where my earliest memories are intertwined with music. My parents often tell me stories of how, as a toddler in a stroller, I would bop my head and dance to the beats of songs playing in stores at the mall. Their love for music became mine, and they introduced me to legendary artists whose songs quickly became my favourites. Before bed, I remember my dad
