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Jared Leslie

Men's Ice Hockey

STUDENT-ATHLETE STORIES: HOW LESLIE’S HOCKEY TRAVELS INSPIRED A CAREER IN ARCHITECURE

(Pictured above: Jared Leslie lines up for a face off at Varsity Arena during the 2019-20 season | by Seyran Mammadov)
 
Each Thursday, varsityblues.ca will highlight a U of T student-athlete and their academic pursuits. Each of these students achieved first class honours with an AGPA of at least 3.50 in the previous academic year.  These are our Student-Athlete Stories.
 
After beginning his U of T career as an economics and industrial relations major, Jared Leslie reflected back on his hockey career and quickly forged a new path for his future.
 
"As I began to look at other options, I spent some time figuring out what I wanted to achieve and where my true passions were," said the fourth-year forward on the Varsity Blues men's hockey team. "This is when I began to think about my hockey journey."
 
Prior to coming to U of T, Leslie attended prep schools in both Connecticut and Toronto, and played the majority of his junior career in Ottawa.
 
"I have been able to play hockey across Canada, the United States and Europe," he said. "Additionally, I was able to live with 20 different guys, four billet families and have formed life-long friendships. When looking back on my hockey journey, I realized that the memories I held were a combination of both the people I was with as well as my surroundings."
 
His surroundings are what led him to the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design.
 
"Whether it was a college, arena, billet house or an off-day activity, I began to realize that these tangible environments played an important role in shaping the memories that were created there," he said. "This is when I realized I wanted to find a subject that not only encouraged collaboration in a team-like environment, but also allowed me to play a role in transforming spaces and shaping other's experiences the same way it did for me."
 
Jared Leslie
(L to R: U of T Vice-Provost, Students Sandy Welsh, Jared Leslie, and Executive Director of Athletics & Physical Activity Beth Ali at the 2019 Academic Breakfast | Seyran Mammadov)
 
Similar to hockey, Leslie boasts that teamwork is what makes the faculty thrive.
 
"My favourite aspect of my field of study is the creativity and collaboration it encourages," he said. "As one of the smaller faculties on campus, the Daniels Faculty has a tight-knit community. Constantly working with and learning from each other has not only allowed me to grow in this field of study, but also grow as a person and I look forward to taking these experiences and relationships with me in the future."
 
In addition to being a student-athlete, Leslie volunteers as a coordinator of the Daniels undergraduate mentorship program, which pairs first- and second-year students as mentees with third- and fourth-year students as mentors.
 
"Although everything has been moved online, we were still able to continue the program virtually and host monthly online social events for the program," he said.
 
Jared Leslie
(Leslie, top row, second from the left, during a Daniels undergraduate mentorship program Zoom call | photo courtesy of Jared Leslie)
 
During his time at U of T, the Tecumseh, Ont., native has established a career path following graduation. 
 
"I will take the next step to become a licensed architect and I am looking to complete a Master's in Architecture," said Leslie. "I have a passion for design that merges both the built and natural environment, and I am interested in different ways in which architecture can help create a more sustainable future for the world."
 
Jared Leslie
(Leslie celebrates his first goal as a Varsity Blue on Nov. 2, 2019 at Varsity Arena | Seyran Mammadov)
 
While the two-time academic all-Canadian is missing his time with the Blues, he does use a favourite memory to stay motivated to get back on the ice.
 
"My favourite Varsity Blues memory has to be scoring my first goal," he said. "It took me a while but it was definitely one of the more exciting goals I have scored throughout my hockey years. Watching the way the guys both on the bench and in the stands reacted and supported me was a feeling I will not forget."
 
 
 
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