Student Spotlight: Rina Walia, Winner of the E.A. Robinson Medal in the Humanities

The Department of English & Drama is delighted to recognize Rina Walia as the 2021-22 recipient of the UTM E.A. Robinson Medal in the Humanities in recognition of her outstanding scholarship, including "rendering readings of complex works of literature in clear and sophisticated prose." Rina, who completed a double major in English and in Drama has garnered a competitive Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Canada Graduate Research Scholarship and will begin graduate studies in the U of T Department of English in fall 2022. 

My experience in UTM’s English & Drama Department over the last four years has truly been life changing. Not only have I learned about the centuries of authors that have shaped our world into what it is today—from Shakespeare to Aphra Behn, Jane Austen, and J.R.R. Tolkien—but I’ve also learned more about myself and what I am capable of. Receiving the E.A. Robinson Medal in the Humanities has been such an honour, and as the recipient of this award, I hope to build my knowledge until I can become a teacher and mentor myself, passing on my love for literature and theatre to the next generations. Pursuing a Master’s degree in English at U of T is the next step towards that future, and I am lucky to have a supportive community here to lend me a hand when I need it and to encourage me to always keep my head held high!