2024 Graduate Feature: Chloe Panganiban

2024 Graduate Feature: Chloe Panganiban

By Chloe Panganiban

Last month, I graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honour’s Bachelor of Science. Spring convocation at the University celebrated graduates of various degrees across the three main campuses. My ceremony, which comprised of over 600 graduates, was a time of reflection, pride, and commemoration. 

The first years of my undergraduate journey were heavily restricted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Navigating university life with online learning and public health measures was undoubtedly a great challenge for many students. My cohort missed out on various key experiences like high school graduation, freshman orientation, and in-person instruction. In the Winter term of 2022, courses slowly started to shift back to on-site learning. While many of us learners were eager to experience university life with this “new normal,”  it was also a challenging transition. We had to adapt and adjust to a new experience – one with new possibilities that included being on-campus for live lectures, group projects, and social events. 

Throughout the four years of my undergraduate journey, I was involved in various student advocacy and student life initiatives. I held leadership positions on councils and associations, including being the Chair of Policies for University of Toronto’s Students’ Union’s First Year Council and the Vice President of the University of Toronto’s Global Health Students’ Association. I am also a student representative for the Toronto Catholic District School Board’s Filipino Advisory Committee, advocating for equitable education and student support for students of Filipino Heritage.  

I graduate with a specialist in Global Health – a program that has equipped me with the knowledge and skills to analyze health on population-wide and larger scales. I have conducted research with the support of various departments around the University, including the Faculty of Arts and Science’s Human Biology Department and the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Of all the lectures attended and lessons learned, a fundamental piece of knowledge from my degree is that our health and well-being is shaped by factors far beyond the immediate biomedical sense of health. It’s influenced by larger conditions – what we call “social determinants of health” – like access to quality education, the physical and built environment, social and community supports, environmental conditions, and many more. 

Looking back at the past four years, I treasure all the moments that shaped my journey and all the people who have walked alongside me. I dedicate all of my accomplishments to my parents, who have continuously showered me with unwavering support and unconditional love. I am incredibly grateful for all of the teachers, mentors, friends, and family who have supported me along the way. To all the 2024 graduates and their families, congratulations! We did it. I look forward to taking on the world together, and wish you all luck on this next chapter of your lives.