Graduating Student Finds Purpose in Teaching, Mentorship and Science

^{Photo by Neil Gaikwad.}

By Leslie Shepherd

The most meaningful part of being at Victoria College was helping other people learn, grow and feel supported, says graduating student Landon See.

During five years at Vic, See blended science, mentorship and community leadership. This spring, he graduates with a BSc in pathobiology and biochemistry and a minor in science, technology and society. Along the way, he became a chemistry peer tutor, senior residence don, outreach lab instructor, pediatric oncology volunteer and co-president of the Dementia Awareness Initiative.

At convocation, he received a Silver “V” Award, given to students who have made outstanding, cumulative contributions to the college community, and a Scott Memorial Scholarship for outstanding undergraduates.

As See considers what comes next — potentially medical school, graduate studies or teaching — he says one thing is clear: he wants a future centred on helping people.

“Teaching sparks something inside me that I just don’t feel with anything else,” See said. “Helping students get where they want to be is such a powerful experience.”

As a chemistry peer tutor, See worked closely with students navigating difficult coursework, often helping them rebuild confidence as much as master content. He also spent three summers as a lab instructor with the Medicine Youth Summer Program at the University of Toronto, introducing high school students to university-level laboratory techniques in subjects including physiology, microbiology and pharmacology.

One favourite exercise involved students painting with glowing bacteria.

“When we turn the lights off, everyone gets so excited,” he said. “Those are the moments I love, when students become genuinely interested and want to keep learning.”

See’s interest in care and communication also grew out of personal experience. After watching family members live with Alzheimer’s disease, he became involved with the Dementia Awareness Initiative, a student organization focused on making dementia research more accessible for students, caregivers and families.

Through Instagram posts translating scientific literature into clear, digestible language, the group shares information about symptoms, caregiving strategies and emerging research on memory, music therapy and brain health.

“A lot of people don’t know what to do when someone in their family develops dementia,” See said. “The goal was to explain things in a way people could actually use.”

The work revealed just how many university students were already navigating similar experiences within their families.

“I was surprised by how many people were experiencing it,” he said. “Even if students aren’t dealing with it now, it’s something so many people will encounter eventually.”

His interest in neuroscience deepened further through coursework, including a class on neurodegenerative disease that explored Alzheimer’s disease, ALS and related disorders. He became especially interested in the connections between the brain and vision, an area he says he would like to explore further in the future.

At the same time, some of his most formative experiences happened outside the classroom. As a volunteer in the pediatric oncology unit at The Hospital for Sick Children, See played with young patients and supported families during difficult moments.

“It was emotionally very heavy at first,” he said. “But I realized I could be even just a glimpse of a happy moment in their life. That was very powerful.”

Community-building was another defining part of his undergraduate experience. See spent all five years living in residence at Vic and served as a residence don for two years.

“In the grand scheme of U of T, Vic feels so tight knit,” he said. “You know where to go for support. You see the same people every day. You actually get to form bonds in a university that’s otherwise so huge.”

See said leaving Vic will feel strange after five years.

“Vic was absolutely the right choice for me,” he said. “There’s so much support and so many opportunities to connect with people and care for them. That’s what I’m going to remember most.”