Five graduates, five ways to contribute

The Class of 2026 includes young researchers, athletes and organizers whose campus experiences helped shape their ambitions beyond graduation. Published in Alumni Digest as verified reporting from the University of Toronto.

The Class of 2026 includes young researchers, athletes and organizers whose campus experiences helped shape their ambitions beyond graduation.

Alumni Digest editorial deskSeptember 18, 20263 min read

In the September issue

Campus

University of TorontoSt. George, Mississauga & Scarborough

Focus

Research & public discoveryIdeas

Outcome

Verified reportingSeptember 2026 issue

The context

Where the work begins

More than 15,000 students were expected to graduate from U of T in spring 2026. Among them, conservation and biodiversity graduate Felipe Sarmiento Gómez took his research to Colombia and worked with a sustainable cacao startup in Costa Rica. Catherine Wang found her direction in nutrition and planned further study at Columbia University.

The takeaway

What follows

Sprinter Isaiah Gardner's experience of injury drew him toward athletes' physical and mental rehabilitation. At Mississauga, commerce graduate Ruqaiya Rahman mentored incoming students and hoped to earn her CPA designation. Diego Arreola Fernández combined economics and international relations with environmental advocacy, co-founding Green Speaking and working with the university's Trash Team.

Five graduates, five ways to contribute

Where the work begins

What follows

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