Strength to Strength Campaign Report

Engaging Debates

Until he was accepted into Trinity One’s International Relations (IR) stream, Salvator Cusimano ’12 had no intention of enrolling at the University of Toronto.

“I’d been considering places across the country and abroad, but I applied to Trinity One anyway, because I liked the small classes and one-on-one time with professors,” he says.

Diving into the program, Cusimano found the exposure to new ideas eye-opening. “We had a really diverse group of students. Some were from out west, out east, the U.S., and some of us had studied in Asia – a really interesting mix of kids. So you get a whole range of perspectives to try out, to bounce off each other. It was a lot to take in, but it was good for my growth,” he says. And he’s still good friends with many of his classmates.

Besides engaging in informal and formal debates, and having conversations with his peers and professors, throughout the year Cusimano attended lectures featuring highprofile guest speakers. All of these opportunities, he says, showed him how rich the field of IR is, and helped him narrow down his academic interests. “When I came to U of T I was considering politics or public health and biology, but while doing Trinity One I realized I wanted to focus on the IR field. These are really important issues we’re discussing.”

Today Cusimano is in his second year, pursuing a joint-specialist degree in IR and Peace and Conflict Studies.