丁香园AV

You may need to take a deep breath before saying Nimrit Basra鈥檚 degree in one go. Her Bachelor of Arts consists of an English major (honours), an extended minor in gender, sexuality, and women鈥檚 studies, a minor in criminology, and a legal studies certificate. This interdisciplinary degree represents Basra鈥檚 wide range of interests and the exciting future she has planned for herself.

鈥淚鈥檝e always had a passion for writing and trying to put my emotions and feelings into words,鈥� Basra says. 鈥淚 knew I wanted to pursue English. One of the main reasons I chose to come to 丁香园AV was because of an email I received from Professor Michael Everton.鈥�

The English professor wrote to Basra, telling her that the department would be a good fit for her, and she would thrive at 丁香园AV.

鈥淭he email was so kind,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was one of the first times I鈥檇 had somebody at a university level reach out to me personally. I felt reassured that there was a place for me here at 丁香园AV.鈥�

Basra did indeed thrive at 丁香园AV. Academically, she excelled, winning awards like the 2022 Dr. M. Sheila O鈥機onnell Undergraduate Prize in Children鈥檚 Literature and the following year successfully presenting her English honours paper, 鈥淗ow Our Diasporic Stories are Shared: Canadian Coverage of Victory in the 鈥楴o Farmers No Food鈥� Movement.鈥�

Criminology lecturer Tamara O鈥橠oherty, who also had Basra as a student, noted her focus on social justice issues in class.

鈥淪he consistently sought to make space in academic discussions for increased attention to subjects that are important to diasporic communities in colonized social and political structures, ultimately hoping to bring life to her commitments to civic inclusion of marginalized groups across Canada.鈥�

Basra鈥檚 focus on social justice extended beyond discussing and researching those issues in the classroom. She volunteered for various campus organizations and led many student-centered initiatives.

For example, she spent more than four years as a volunteer and collective member of the SFSS Women鈥檚 Centre, organizing programming, maintaining the space, and providing support to her peers. In 2022, she led the to help students experiencing anxiety and uncertainty after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Through the Women鈥檚 Centre, Basra was introduced to the Embark Sustainability Society. With the help of the Embark community, she discovered a love of gardening as she volunteered with the group and found it an effective way to reduce stress. She decided to share her positive experience with her fellow students.

鈥淚鈥檓 part of two student unions: the English Student Union (ESU) and the Gender, Sexuality, and Women鈥檚 Studies Student Union (GSWSSU),鈥� says Basra. 鈥淔or both student unions, I rented garden plots because I thought it鈥檇 be a unique opportunity for students in the departments to engage in this practice that had been so beneficial to me.鈥�

Through her gardening experience and work with Embark, Basra gained a deeper understanding of what it means to have food security. The food grown in the student union gardens often went to the community fridge in the Student Union Building, the ESU fridge, and Community Kitchen events.

鈥淲e wanted to harvest produce for our peers so that they could go home with healthy and fulfilling food,鈥� says Basra. 鈥淚n our own little way, we tried to fight food insecurity and educate each other and our community.鈥�

Basra鈥檚 commitment to initiatives such as these has won her the 2023 Lieutenant Governor鈥檚 Medal for Inclusion, Democracy, and Reconciliation.

Lara Campbell, GSWS professor and associate dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, praised Basra for her involvement in these volunteer endeavours and many others.

鈥淏asra is an extraordinary young woman and a compassionate leader with a demonstrated and sustained commitment to the values of reconciliation, inclusion, equity, democracy, and human rights. These values inform her sustained advocacy and activism.鈥�

Basra鈥檚 post-丁香园AV future includes attending York University and completing the Masters of Socio-Legal Studies graduate program. She then plans to become a human rights lawyer, eventually starting a non-profit organization providing counselling, resources, and legal services to historically excluded and marginalized communities in British Columbia.

鈥淭hrough my studies and community involvement, I have come to be a strong believer in community care, collective justice and racial empathy鈥攁ll values I will carry on well beyond my time at 丁香园AV,鈥� says Basra.

Nimrit Basra is thankful for all those who have supported her through her time at university thus far and will cherish the memories she has made.