For this U of T grad from Sri Lanka, giving up was never an option

Rashmi de Silva Wijeyeratne was only two months away from completing an undergraduate program in Sri Lanka when she found out that the degree she’d spent years working towards wasn’t accredited.

Wijeyeratne had studied at an institution affiliated with a British university and was told that she would earn a degree from that university – but when she visited the U.K. and toured the campus, she found out that wasn’t the case.

A devastated Wijeyeratne dropped out of the program, but soon turned her energy towards starting over with her undergraduate studies, applying to the University of Toronto Scarborough’s Arts & Science Co-op program.

On Oct. 29, eight years after she first set out in pursuit of post-secondary education in Sri Lanka, Wijeyeratne crossed the stage at Convocation Hall, graduating with an honours bachelor of science in psychology.

“A lot of people ask me, ‘How did you restart?’ I think so many of us are capable of so much more in terms of resilience,” said Wijeyeratne, now 27. “When we are faced with a situation, you don't just give up, you want to fight, you want to try again.

“It was hard, but I didn't see giving up as an option.”

It’s an ethos that Wijeyeratne espoused throughout her time at U of T. Although the setback in Sri Lanka was behind here when she arrived in Canada, there were more challenges lying in wait.

Starting her U of T studies during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wijeyeratne had to do the first month of her studies remotely from Sri Lanka. When she finally got to Canada, she spent two weeks in quarantine in a Toronto hotel, and then, right when she was allowed to leave, her grandfather died.

Wijeyeratne had to miss the funeral, as there was no way for her to make it to Sri Lanka on time, and she would have had to quarantine again upon her return to Canada. She couldn’t see her family for two years due to ever-changing travel restrictions and the fear of being trapped outside of Canada.

Despite being alone in Canada, Wijeyeratne threw herself into academics as well as extra-curricular opportunities, albeit on her computer screen. Once vaccines became available and restrictions eased, she got to work reviving multiple campus groups, including as vice-president and, eventually, president of the UTSC Glee Club. She was also finally able to welcome her parents to Canada.

A self-described arts kid – she hails from a family of prominent performers in Sri Lanka’s musical theatre scene - Wijeyeratne nevertheless developed a love of biology, clinical medicine and health care at U of T.

She volunteered in several labs and completed a co-op placement at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in the lab of senior scientist Jeffrey Meyer, a professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s department of psychiatry. Her work led to her being listed as a co-author in the first study to find a natural supplement that reduces post-partum depression. 

She also completed a work-study position as a research assistant in the TEMPO Lab, headed by Assistant Professor Laura Cirelli – who also supervised her undergraduate thesis – and went on to work as a lab coordinator there. The lab combines several of Wijeyeratne’s interests: it’s dedicated to investigating the psychological impact that music has on babies and children.

With Cirelli’s encouragement, Wijeyeratne presented her thesis – an investigation into how grandparents connect with their grandchildren over Zoom – at the Society for Music Perception and Cognition conference in Banff, Alta. in July.

“One of the most rewarding parts of being a professor at U of T Scarborough is working with and getting to know passionate students like Rashmi,” Cirelli says. “It was especially inspiring to see Rashmi shine at the conference this summer. She presented with clarity and pride.”

For her part, Wijeyeratne says being a member of the TEMPO Lab and getting mentored by Cirelli was “life-changing.”

Outside the research realm, Wijeyeratne also found time to pick up hands-on skills, working her way up U of T Scarborough’s Emergency Medical Response Group to become a trained emergency first responder. 

She's now looking forward to her next chapter: working as a research analyst in CAMH’s emergency department starting in November.

“It's been such a non-traditional trajectory towards getting here,” Wijeyeratne says. “But my proudest achievement is being able to make my family proud. I’m so grateful for their love and support and I would not be where I am without them.”