As the world began to open following the COVID pandemic, so too did Elinor Egan’s college experience. By fully embracing the St. Michael’s community, she was able to explore many facets of the Christianity & Culture program and came to realize how expansive the field of study is.
“I’m very thankful to have studied at St. Mike’s. The professors know you and they’re interested in you. They follow up with you year after year and they know what you’re interested in. It’s nice to feel like you’re a peer, and you’re all coming to do the same thing together at a big university, in a big city. I find it very comforting,” she says.
As she graduates as a part of the Class of 2025, she is amazed at how far she’s come. Elinor’s first years at U of T were marked by the COVID pandemic as lectures and social events moved online.
“The first couple of years were quite disheartening for me. COVID was hard for everybody and as someone who is shy, trying to like meet people online was difficult. Being able to continue in my studies and reach graduation is a big accomplishment. It wasn’t easy and that makes it something worth celebrating,” she says.
Her first introduction to the St. Michael’s community was through the Gilson Seminar. This SMC One course is offered in two parts. The first half of the course examines how Christianity relates to the big topics of today, while the second half includes a trip to Rome to take a closer look at the roles the Catholic Church and Vatican have played in ecology, science, literature, the arts, and politics.
While in Rome she had the opportunity to not only meet her classmates in person, but attend lectures together, share meals, and discuss what they were learning each day.
When she returned to Toronto, she was eager to get involved. She jumped at the chance to help organize the Christianity & Culture social, a weekly coffee hour that allows students and faculty involved in the program come together.
“Christianity & Culture is a small program, and even St. Mike’s is big college, so this was a way for people in the program and those who were curious about the program to meet and talk with the professors. It became like casual office hours where students could come and ask their professors questions about course material or anything else on their mind. It was a way for people to get to know each other and it made the program a close-knit community,” she says.
She joined the Gilson Book Club, a book club that met weekly in the Basilian Common Room.
“We would read a lot of books that I had studied in class, and I thought it would be a bit tedious, but it was a nice way to experience great books with thoughtful people and really enjoy the St. Mike’s culture without the stress of it being graded for class,” she says.
She also gained hands-on experience in running a student journal, first as the associate editor and then as senior editor of Seculum, the Christianity & Culture program journal. In the later role she invited students and professors to submit papers related to Christianity & Culture and was amazed at the range of disciplines that were represented.
“I found it exciting how many different topics people were interested in and how the topics fit under the theme. It re-emphasized how broad Christianity & Culture really is, and how it brings together people from all different programs and areas of study,” she says.
For Elinor, the St. Michael’s community was on full display at its annual Michaelmas event in September. The celebrations begin with Mass at St. Basil’s, leading with academic procession, and then food trucks and games in the quad and Elmsley Lane. “It was a stunning day, and the campus looked beautiful, and it was great experience to see everyone together celebrating St. Mike’s and it made me think about what it means be a part of St. Mike’s. I took it all in and thought, I’m very lucky to be here,’ she says.
Now as she prepares herself for what’s next, she is grateful for her time at St. Michael’s and all the experiences it afforded her.
For more on our Class of 2025 graduands :