Tartu College is a very important place for the Estonian community of Canada. It’s the home of Eesti Elu / Estonian Life newspaper, VEMU Estonian Museum Canada, numerous academic organizations, and is also a place where many university students in Toronto reside.
As Tartu College celebrates its 55th anniversary this year, we wanted to introduce readers to the people who make this place thrive. This time, we’re speaking with Chloe Lin—a student of psychology, sociology, and contemporary Asian studies at the University of Toronto, who is on a path to support people’s mental health alongside ongoing creative writing projects.
(interview with Vincent Teetsov)
To begin with, please tell us who you are using just five words. And then tell us why you chose those words.
I’m stealing this from a university application essay, but I believe that my name is an acronym for the traits that make me who I am:
Creative: I have been and always will be a creative human. One of my favourite things to do is write and I’ve been doing creative writing since I could spell. Even though I’m not pursuing something creative professionally, I still make sure that I’m writing as a hobby, and it makes me happy to use my brain in that way.
Hardworking: I try my best in just about anything I do, from schoolwork to volunteering to friendships. I may not be the best at everything that I do, but I put in effort and I know that eventually I’ll see that it was for something.
Loyal: I’m fiercely loyal, maybe to a fault, to family and friends and I want to be there for their celebrations but also their troubles. I make sure that I am there for them, whether they need an ear to listen or advice, and it doesn’t matter if I’ve known them for basically my whole life or just a few months.
Organized: I pride myself in being an organized person. I label bins in my room at Tartu so I know where things are, I use a planner to write down important dates, and I always have a pen and bandaids with me wherever I go.
Enthusiastic: I truly love the things I love. Whether it’s the book I’m currently reading or why Sigmund Freud had some really weird theories or finding the perfect brownie recipe, I’m passionate about my hobbies and interests. I talk a lot, and I never pass up the opportunity to talk about how proud I am of my friends, or how interesting a project I’m working on is.
Where did you grow up and what are the most impactful moments of your early years?
I grew up in Vancouver and didn’t leave until I went to Toronto for university. Some of the most impactful moments of my early years included changing schools in grade three and getting accepted into a special arts program at my high school in grade ten. I changed schools in grade three because my younger brother had been accepted into the elementary school’s French Immersion program, and I had never been a “new kid” before, so it was a strange transition for me. I eventually made friends, but I think that changing schools made me much more quiet than before.
“… it took me until grade ten to get accepted into the literary arts (writing) stream because the literary arts stream wasn’t available as an option until then. Because I had “failed” so many times before, it made me appreciate the opportunity a lot more, and it also validated me in showing that I could be good at writing.”
(Chloe Lin)
My high school had a selective arts program with limited seats per stream (orchestra, band, visual arts, etc.) for all students in the city and I had auditioned every year since grade seven but it took me until grade ten to get accepted into the literary arts (writing) stream because the literary arts stream wasn’t available as an option until then. Because I had “failed” so many times before, it made me appreciate the opportunity a lot more, and it also validated me in showing that I could be good at writing.
What brought you to Tartu College?
I’m a student at the University of Toronto and there was a very small chance that I would be able to live at my first year residence in second year so I knew that I would need to find somewhere else to live. I originally thought about renting an apartment like most people, but it was pretty expensive and I also didn’t want to commit to a full-year lease because I go home for the summer. My friend and I found Tartu College and we decided to live there because it was relatively inexpensive, in a really good location (I could actually see my first year residence from my window in Tartu College), and you could pay for just the school year. My first year residence was also suite-style, so I knew that I would like the layout of Tartu College.
What is/was the most interesting thing about Tartu College for you, and being in Toronto in general?
I like the suite style of Tartu because I enjoy the autonomy of being able to make what I want for myself when I want it. During my first year, I started baking and I’ve continued during second year so I’m in the kitchen a lot, making various baked goods. It’s also where I talk with my roommates as we catch up on each other’s days and complain or celebrate. One of my favourite memories was Friendsgiving, when my roommates and I invited some of our neighbours and friends to do a potluck-style dinner. I got to try foods that I’ve never had before, and we all had fun eating and talking to each other.
You write essays and poems. You play viola. You study psychology, sociology, and contemporary Asian studies. In what ways do your life pursuits give you joy?
My hobbies are very creative, and I love that they help me turn off my academic brain and just enjoy something that is genuinely just for me. It’s hard to do things that aren’t inherently useful for me, but I make sure that I write and play viola to make me happy. Writing helps me get my thoughts out and playing the viola in an orchestra on campus ensures that I dedicate a few hours of my week to something that isn’t studying. Hobbies help me make sure that I don’t overwork myself or spend all of my time focused on schoolwork.
“[Becoming a therapist] is my dream career, because I want to help people feel better… I hope to focus on Asians, and specifically Asian-Canadian communities, because therapy and mental health are so stigmatized but so important to discuss.”
(Chloe Lin)
My majors and minors are useful to me and I like that they serve a purpose. I study psychology so that I can become a therapist in the future, which is my dream career, because I want to help people feel better. I study sociology because I believe that society affects us a lot, whether we like it or not, and knowing how we are influenced by societal structures will help me in the future. I study contemporary Asian studies because I’m Asian and I hope to focus on Asians, and specifically Asian-Canadian communities, because therapy and mental health are so stigmatized but so important to discuss.
Choose one photo that is important to you and tell us the story behind the photo.
This was the view from my kitchen this year in Tartu. I took this picture on my last day of living at Tartu before going home, and I wanted to commemorate the moment. I had completed my second year of university, and I was happy but sad that it was over. Throughout the school year I was in the kitchen a lot, cooking, baking, and chatting with my roommates and friends. We did roommate dinners and birthday parties, but we also just sat there and talked a lot. We talked about silly things and serious things, and I loved just about every moment I spent in that kitchen.
Tartu College is turning fifty-five years old this year. Thinking ahead to the future, where do you see yourself when you're fifty-five years old?
When I’m fifty-five years old I hope that I’ve fulfilled my dream of being a therapist. I’m not sure what kind of therapist I want to be but I want to help people with their mental health and I want people to know that it’s okay to not be okay. I want to go back to Vancouver to live and I hope that I see my family often and am still close friends with the people I love now.
And finally, to pay it forward, is there anyone you think we should speak to next from within the Tartu College community? Please tell us why you chose them.
My roommate Savannah is someone I met this year but we’re pretty similar in that we both play viola and like reading and writing. We’ve gotten close over the past year and I consider her a close friend.
