Alumni Digest / U of T / Ideas /
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.
Five members of U of T's Class of 2026 gather for a portrait.Photo: Polina Teif
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.
Source reporting
Five graduates, five ways to contribute
Original summary by Alumni Digest, based on public source reporting. This independent publication is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Toronto. Source image retained for editorial review; rights clearance is still required before any broader reuse.
