Amanda Wang is a second year Trinity College student majoring in Peace, Conflict and Justice and minoring in Equity Studies and Political Science. She is excited for the interdisciplinary nature of the program and is entering with an open mind and a willingness to learn.

A wide range of interests lead Amanda to apply for PCJ. Combined with a major in PCJ, Amanda chose to minor in Equity Studies and Political Science because she cares deeply about various social justice issues and wants to gain a more holistic perspective on them, informed by various disciplines.

Amanda’s biggest takeaway from her first year at U of T was to trust the process. She found that although change can be daunting, it is important to be patient with yourself. She learned that when taking on any new experience, whether that be a different learning environment or extracurricular activity, it is okay to be confused and lost sometimes. With time and practice, you eventually learn to adapt and grow from those experiences. She hopes to apply this mindset to the PCJ program by coming in with an open mind, a willingness to learn, and fewer expectations for perfection.

This year, Amanda is looking forward to taking PCJ260Y1 and WGS271H1:Gender in Pop Culture. She is also excited to research restorative and transformative justice, poverty and inequality, and anti-racism/racial justice.

Outside of class, Amanda serves as a Fundraising Director for the University of Toronto Mental Health Association and the co-chair of a community cooking initiative that prepares and serves meals to members of the community in need.

A fun fact about Amanda is that she has always loved tea! When she visited relatives in China last summer, she got the chance to learn about and participate in a traditional tea ceremony. She would love to travel and learn about other different tea traditions around the world!