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, presented by Egg Farmers of Ontario.
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A child of immigrants and a first-generation university student in Canada, Varsity Blues wrestler Maya Salman has taken on the very hard task of navigating a post-secondary educational journey without some of the typical guidance that can be expected. But with a stout work ethic and the discipline to adhere to her commitments, she has found a way to excel within the ethics, society and law program here at the University of Toronto.
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"Making it to U of T was not a linear path," described Salman. "I, like many of my counterparts, struggled academically as many of our parents, including my own, did not attend elementary school, high school, or university in Canada. This became particularly problematic when applying for and choosing which university to attend, as no one in my family had gone through that process before me. With my lack of knowledge of what university would entail, starting my undergraduate degree at U of T was unbelievably daunting."
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Undeterred, Salman committed herself to working hard and finding a way to make it all work. She earned her place at U of T, and then after a year of rigorous academics, was admitted to the ethics, society and law program with the top GPA of her entry class.
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"Balancing work, school, and wrestling is one of the hardest things I have had to do, and there were days when I was tempted to skip a class, call in to work, or miss practice," outlined Salman. "There were also days when I forgot why I was doing everything I was doing, so the 'end goal' was not even enough to motivate me at times. It is in those moments where discipline - doing something not because you want to, but because you are committed to it - became critical for me."
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(Photo by Neil Patel)
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That commitment has been rewarded, as Salman earned U SPORTS academic all-Canadian honours following the 2023-24 season. But even now, Salman continues to push herself and take on more responsibility to gain as much as she can from her time at U of T.
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Along with her studies and wrestling for the Varsity Blues, she has also been involved with the Middle Eastern Student Association (MESA) and is now becoming a peer mentor for first-year students within the ethics, society and law program. This community aspect of the University of Toronto is one of the things that drove her decision to choose U of T and has left an impact on her so far, between her classmates, teammates, and others she has crossed paths with.
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"The college system U of T offers was a huge factor in my decision to attend school here," mentioned Salman. "Your college or faculty behaves as your 'home' community, and for me, having that smaller community already waiting for me as a member of Trinity College made the transition, especially as a first-generation student, so much easier. And then joining the wrestling team in my second year just enhanced that sense of community even more. My teammates have become my family, so post-tournament dinners, travelling, hanging out after practice, all those little memories are so special to me."
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(Maya Salman, right, wrestling at the 2023 U of T Open last December at the Athletic Centre | Photo by Aru Das)
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Salman, who begins her second season with the Varsity Blues wrestling team this weekend, hopes to pursue law school and explore Indigenous and international law.
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"I have witnessed the effects of an ineffective international legal system that has failed to protect so many groups around the world, including my own family," said Salman. "I would love to pursue a career that allows me to rectify some of these injustices and fortify international law. Indigenous Studies has also enhanced my understanding of justice and Indigenous issues enormously. This has also inspired my dream of hopefully working on repatriation efforts for displaced Indigenous peoples everywhere in the world."
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