Shae Torres

Spring 2023 Valedictorian

Shae Torres is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree in Psychology.

The 23-year-old chose UWinnipeg in 2018 because of the small class sizes and access to world-class faculty members.

“I liked how intimate and small it was, and it felt like a nice transition from high school,” Torres said. “I feel like I got to know my classmates and my professors really well because of that, so I’m super grateful.”

As part of the psychology honours program’s hands-on learning placement, Torres volunteered at New Directions, an organization supporting individuals living with a disability. In her free time, she also volunteered with Special Olympics Manitoba.

The COVID-19 pandemic meant Torres did most of her learning online. She, nevertheless, formed tight connections with her honours cohort.

“We all started making group chats online and I feel like we became really close that way,” she said. “We would meet on Zoom after classes and work on things together.”

Her academic path was influenced by a second-year course on sex and gender taught by Dr. Lisa Sinclair.

“Ever since that class, I just became really, really interested in social psychology, and I kept taking her classes and eventually asked her to be my thesis advisor,” Torres said. “She’s been such a great research mentor for me and motivated me to pursue psychology all the way.”

Torres plans to pursue a master’s degree abroad and then return to Canada for a PhD in social psychology. In the meantime, she has begun a one-year term as the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s equity, diversity, and inclusion coordinator.

“Diversity and social justice are something I’m really passionate about,” Torres said. “I thought this would be a good transition to the professional world and a chance to put the things I learned into practice.”

Torres’ advice to her fellow students is to “soak it all in” and practice self-care.

“It does seem hard in the moment, but it’s all worth it. I think you’ll look back and realize those were some of the funnest times of your life.”