Small-town American chooses York for spirit and program offerings
York University’s rising in world rankings in his favourite subjects and the campus’s positive vibe got Heath Leone to pack residence-living essentials, laptop, external drive and all, to move to the Great North
When it was time for Heath Leone, a small-town Iowan to decide on where to go for university education, he looked beyond the United States. For the vibrant young person who wanted to move to a bigger city with a more liberal political outlook compared to his hometown, choosing Canada and Toronto wasn’t difficult. And the tuition fees for international students was comparable to what he would have paid as a citizen in the U.S., which was an added attraction.
“So, I went on campus tours to some of the universities here in Toronto and the GTA region,” says 18-year-old Leone. “I just liked the vibe of York, where everyone seemed really happy, and they [York] had a good biology program.”
Just like Leone, many international future students apply to study at York University, irrespective of their country’s proximity to Canada, as many subject areas taught and researched at York have risen significantly in world rankings. This year, York jumped five spots in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings to 35th in the world and is once again ranked as a top five university in Canada by Maclean’s 2025 University Rankings.
More recently, the prestigious ShanghaiRanking Consultancy’s 2024 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects has placed York in the top 100 in the world in six subjects and for several other, among top subjects offered in Canada.
Leone who is enrolled for courses in some of these subjects, including physics, says he is thankful that tutorial support is in place for students who seek extra attention. “It’s nice that we have tutorials and lectures and gives the opportunity for you to clear up any misconceptions and doubts. Our tutorials are more focused on problem solving overall, versus just gaining physics knowledge. I really like the resources available and how the teaching and learning is set up at York.”
Leone is not only happy with not only the education he is receiving at York but is also excited about the employment and volunteering opportunities that are available on campus, including with the University’s external partners and affiliates.
Leone has already found work at a bakery chain’s York location and finds it helpful in shaping his professionalism. “In my job, I need to communicate with my coworkers at the store and that helps with developing team management skills. It also teaches time management because I am working part time as a full-time student.”
On the volunteering front, Leone has joined non-profit student organization Peace by PEACE. Through a 11-week curriculum, its volunteers empower Toronto and York Region students in grades 4-7 to deal with conflict, bullying, and violence in their homes, schools, and communities.
The program based out of York’s Keele Campus as well as Glendon Campus, also teaches embracing diversity and community building through mentors like Leone, who use their own lived experiences to guide participating school kids.
Residence life has been a source of inspiration for Leone in this sense. He lives on campus at Vanier Residence and loves the community experience. “We have common rooms where I can hang out with friends, watch a movie and even store [in the common fridge] and share cookies from my shifts at work,” he says with a laugh.
Leone, who has made several friends both on campus and in residence, adds that having a roommate has also been a positive experience as they are able to share and care about each other.
“I like that everyone knows each other in the building and pretty close to neighbours on the floor. So overall, residence life is positive,” says Leone, who is now transforming into a big-town individual, while gaining valuable international exposure for a well-rounded future in the global arena.
