Shane Joy: A First-Gen Trailblazer at the Heart of Victoria University

By Leslie Shepherd

Shane Joy Vic 2T5 isn’t just a recent graduate of Victoria University in the University of Toronto— he’s a trailblazer, a mentor, a historian and a changemaker.

The first Victoria College student to receive the prestigious McCall MacBain Scholarship—often called Canada’s equivalent to the Rhodes—Joy leaves a legacy of academic excellence and leadership.

As a history major, Joy tackled complex legacies in his senior thesis on Egerton Ryerson, the founder of Victoria College and a reputed architect of the residential school system. His research reflected the depth and nuance that defined his academic journey: thoughtful, courageous and committed to truth.

Joy’s influence extended well beyond the classroom. He was president of the Victoria University Students’ Administrative Council, a residence don, student representative on the Board of Regents and chair of the Student Projects Fund. He was co-director of finance at Caffiends, helped organize Orientation Week twice, and served on the Victoria University Black Excellence and Inclusion Committee.

“Being VUSAC president was the most challenging role,” he said. “You’re managing so many different interests, and you have to make tough decisions while staying grounded in your personal convictions.”

His most fulfilling role? Serving as a don in student residence. “I had hoped to make a difference on VUSAC, but the impact isn’t always visible. As a don, you see it. You see students grow, struggle, succeed—and you’re part of that.”

Why did he choose Victoria University originally?

It started with a quiet campus tour in 2020, during the early days of the pandemic. “In addition to the buildings, Vic has a really beautiful campus and it’s gotten even greater since,” said Joy, who graduated this spring.

It wasn’t just the architecture that drew him in. Joy, a first-generation university student, was motivated by the financial support available at Vic, much of it made possible by alumni donors.

“My parents never went to university; my father didn’t graduate from high school,” Joy said. “Without the scholarship I received from Vic, it would have been immensely difficult, if not impossible, to attend university without significant financial difficulty.”

Another deciding factor was the Vic One program, which offers first-year students small seminar-style classes and close connections with faculty. “That program helped me form lasting relationships and set the tone for the rest of my university experience,” he said.

One of the defining pieces of Joy’s time at Vic was his thesis on Egerton Ryerson. Sparked by the removal of Ryerson’s statue at what was then called Ryerson University and his portrait at Vic U in 2021, Joy wanted to understand the full story. His research took him to the E.J. Pratt Library and the United Church of Canada Archives, where he uncovered Ryerson’s reciprocal engagement with, and early advocacy for, Indigenous communities and his later role in shaping residential schools.

“That contradiction was something I wanted to explore in depth,” Joy said. “Nuance is very important as a historian. He was a complex person.”

Next, Joy will head to McGill’s Max Bell School of Public Policy to explore his interests in Canadian national security, particularly in the Arctic.

As for what makes Vic special? Joy doesn’t hesitate: “There’s a strong spirit of mentorship here. If you try, you will find someone to guide you. And you’ll feel like you belong.”

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