Glendon College - York University

Stephanie de Guzman
Mathematics, French, and Education Graduate, Glendon
Currently teaching mathematics at the International School of Basel, Switzerland

What made Glendon the right choice of university for you?

The fact that it’s a bilingual campus in Toronto with reasonable class sizes really appealed to me.

How has your Glendon education helped your career?

Glendon provided me with a natural setting in which I was exposed, on a daily basis, to various cultures. In my high school French classes, we read all about these
French-speaking countries and it wasn’t until Glendon that those books really came to life for me. I was able to learn, first hand, about countries such as Mauritius, the Ivory Coast, Haiti and the Congo, for example. Being at Glendon has really fired up the travel bug in me. Instead of just reading about all of these lovely places to visit in the world, why not couple that with travel as well? Working at an international school provides me with the opportunity to be reminded of the beauty of diversity and to truly experience different ways of thinking and living.

What was your favourite spot on campus?

Without a doubt, THE stairs!

What did studying at a bilingual institution mean to you?

While I loved studying French before coming to Glendon, I really didn’t enjoy having to use it in a fabricated setting where various scenarios were created in which I could practice my French with others who were just learning the language as well. At Glendon I was able to improve my French with many native speakers from all over the world and use it as a tool to learn more about my other love, Math.

Anything else you'd like people to know about your time at Glendon?

What a wonderful opportunity to truly experience “la francophonie”!