The University of Toronto was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Meruba Sivaselvachandran, a first year MBA student and a 2L in the combined J.D./M.B.A. program.
Meruba was a highly engaged student at the law school and at Rotman. She volunteered as a Student Ambassador and was involved in the LAWS youth outreach program. Meruba also volunteered for the International Human Rights Program and the Sports & Entertainment Law Association.
At Rotman, she was a member of the Entertainment and Media Association, the Rotman Marketing Association, and the Rotman Sports Business Association. Those who were lucky to call her a teammate described her as very thoughtful, helpful and the life of their team.
Meruba’s sister Sivaani says: “Meruba was not only passionate about her own experiences as a law student but also deeply cared about justice and worked tirelessly to make the world a better place. Meruba was passionate and insightful about human rights violations in Sri Lanka and spent last summer working as a legal intern for People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL). Meruba was also committed to anti-racism and equity and did impactful work in her role as the Programming and Outreach Assistant with the Equity and Diversity office at UTM. She was never afraid to speak up when she witnessed injustice, and she always made the people around her feel cared for. Above all, she wanted underprivileged young people to know all the great things they were capable of, and worked to make opportunities available to them at every turn.
Her family and friends will miss her kind nature, witty humour, charming personality, and infectious laugh. She enjoyed listening to music, playing video games, travelling and loved animals. She had been fostering dogs for the past decade and enjoyed walks in nature.
Meruba was a passionate advocate for mental health and wellness. In her undergraduate studies, she was a Residence Don who helped students transition comfortably into their first year at university. During law school, she was an Orientation leader for OWeek 2020 and took on the challenge of connecting students together during the COVID pandemic. Meruba always made sure to convey to people how much she loved them, valued them, and wanted to see them happy. She dedicated her life to caring for others, bringing joy and laughter to peoples’ faces, and making the world brighter. We must continue that journey in her honour.”
A virtual visitation will be held for Meruba on Monday February 22 2021 from 6:00pm – 10:00pm. For more information, please visit the funeral home web site:
https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/20015816/Meruba-Sivaselvachandran
Students and staff who need grief counselling are encouraged to seek support.
Students can contact the Health and Wellness Centre (weekdays 9AM-4:30PM) at 416-978-8030, or to visit the Student Mental Health Portal at https://mentalhealth.utoronto.ca. In addition to the services offered by Health and Wellness, UofT MySSP is available to support our students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via telephone, video, or chat from anywhere in the world in multiple languages.
Staff and faculty can contact Homewood Health at 1-800-663-1142.