Student Showcase: Ria Arora

ZON 100 is an introductory undergraduate course to Zone Learning and everything it entails; Ria took the graduate version of the course, DG 8116, while doing her master’s degree. Ria explained that she wanted to take this course to build upon her previous experience with experiential learning. She loved this course because it was the first time she was in an environment where her passion - uplifting the artistic and cultural contributions of brown women in Canada - wasn't shocking, but instead, everyone was supportive.

Bringing up her passion before this course felt like starting the same conversation repeatedly. Zone Learning provided her with the opportunity to explore it further. 

DG 8116 is a course designated for masters and graduate students that provides practical learning opportunities for students who need support with business idea development. This class, as Ria pointed out, stands out because it is filled with students who choose to be there. Like ZON 100, this course is taught by JP Silva who has been an invaluable source and an excellent mentor as shared by Ria. He was there everyday to support her and her idea and made class incredibly engaging; while absences are routine at some point in every course, Ria was so invested in the class that, on the one occasion she was absent, she emailed JP Silva to not only ask what she missed, but apologize for missing such a great class! . 

The Zone Street Fair was an opportunity she learned about during her masters course while she was trying to raise funds for her new business venture, SAY (South Asian Yard) (external link, opens in new window) . Through being involved in this market it made Ria realize that her business has exponential opportunities to grow within the bounds of TMU and there are numerous opportunities across campus for her to be involved and raise awareness for her non-profit startup. 

Ria also took a capstone course that was a part of the community engagement certificate, designed to give students the skills to start their own business or non-profit. During this course she started a community page on Instagram (external link, opens in new window)  that focused on uplifting second-generation women, especially from Southeast Asia. Ria specifically wanted to uplift those who experience trauma common among brown women, including women who identify as part of the LGBTQ community in order to elevate a diverse representation of brown women. This project was called #TalkBicultural, a week-long showcase and each day focused on a different theme. The purpose of this was to talk about a broad range of topics and discuss what it means to have dual identity and what it’s like to negotiate between the two. It was through this platform that her non-profit business, SAY stemmed from. 

She was selected to participate in the Jack Layton Placement (external link, opens in new window) . This is a six month placement run by a professor whose only goal was for students to utilize this time to work on their projects. This followed after the capstone course and her goal during this was to figure out how to incorporate social media into her non-profit. 

SAY is a nonprofit organization “to create a space where second-generation brown girls build fearless, authentic, and creative lives.” Started by Ria Arora, it has now grown to a team of two, the second member being Mahira Khan. Mahira is a recent graduate at the University of Toronto, completing a major in Urban Planning, an artist and the Creative Director of The South Asian Yard. For more information about SAY’S personnel and mission, as well as ways to support them if their mission speaks to you, you can find more information visit their Instagram page (external link, opens in new window)  or website (external link, opens in new window) .

Additionally, if you’re a student taking an experiential learning course and are in need of a community organization partner, SAY offers placements for students of any discipline. They are currently seeking a Chief Program Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer and folx can apply by sending their resume and cover letter to riaa@thesouthasianyard.ca. These executive positions are voluntary in nature. If you have any project ideas and you appreciate the support of an organization to host your project, inquiries can be directed to the aforementioned email.