Latest news with #internationalstudent
CBC
18-07-2025
- CBC
Presumed drowning reignites calls for river safety in Kamloops
Despite calls for action following the presumed drowning of an international student last Sunday, the city of Kamloops says it has no plans to add additional safety equipment to local beaches. CBC's Jenifer Norwell explains why.
CBC
12-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
I came to Canada as an international student. It was a cold, hard road to achieving my dream
Social Sharing This First Person column is written by Keerthy Vinukonda, who lives in Toronto. For more information about First Person stories, see the FAQ. I rushed to the bus stop just after midnight after a busy shift at a pizza shop supervising the staff and making sure the orders were prepared correctly. It wasn't my ideal job — I had earned a pharmacy degree in India — but it was one of the few that would put an international student like me on track for permanent residency. As the minutes crept by and no bus appeared, I realized I had missed it. After another 30 minutes of standing around in -15 C, the next bus finally arrived to take me to the subway. It was 2 a.m. by the time I finally walked down the steps to my basement rental. Cold winter moments like this made me question my choices and whether my hope of being a Canadian was worth the struggle. Despite being completely exhausted, I was up early the next day, sleepily reviewing my notes on organic chemistry for a pharmacist equivalency exam — a necessary step to get my degree from India recognized in Canada. Jolting me alert was the ring tone of my twin sister phoning from India. She was eager to come to Canada, based on the heaven-like portrayals of this country in India in many media advertisements promising easy work. I tried to slow her enthusiasm by listing cold realities, like the weather and obstacles in my career path. Once upon a time, I also used to dream of coming to Canada. But my dreams did not include the twists and turns I would experience in my journey to becoming a Canadian. Sold on promises Given the high levels of unemployment for young, educated professionals in India, it was difficult to find a job — even with my degree — so I decided to study abroad. I arrived in Toronto on a study permit in 2016 and eventually completed a health-care administration program in 2017 from a private college. I then got another certificate from a publicly funded institution. After graduation, I obtained a work permit and worked six days a week as a shift supervisor. I was assigned to three restaurants that were far from where I lived. I had 20 hours of commuting time each week. Restaurant work was a world away from the career I had trained for, but because the job was considered " Canadian skilled work experience," it qualified me for the Express Entry stream of immigration. In 2021, I received a letter inviting me to apply for permanent residency, and became a Canadian citizen three years later. It felt ironic that on the day that I was invited to my citizenship ceremony news headlines were focused on a new cap on study permits for international students, citing schools — including one, Alpha College, that I had attended — that gave out " sham" degrees or were " bad actors." I don't have anything bad to say about the students or instructors, but the courses at Alpha College could have had more substance. WATCH | What international students mean for Canada's economy: Is Canada accepting too many international students? | About That 1 year ago Duration 10:23 When I arrived, I was fortunate to find reasonably priced rooms for rent, and I avoided the expensive, overcrowded housing that was commonplace among my friends. But just like falling down on ice, not everything flowed smoothly for me. Despite graduating "first class with distinction" in India, I was unable to pass the Canadian pharmacy equivalency exams. I was emotionally exhausted and physically burned out from commuting long distances to work a job that was unrelated to my studies. Although I later found work as a pharmacy assistant, I cannot claim to be a pharmacist in Canada. Given what I had gone through, I wish I'd heard more realistic perspectives from people already in Canada rather than from immigration counselling firms in India, which advertised that you could earn more money in one month than people in India make in one year. I thought I could provide a luxury lifestyle for myself and my family. It was not easy to chart a pathway when the reality was so different from my expectations. But everything considered, I am proud to be a Canadian citizen. Even though I've dealt with some rude customers in my different jobs in Canada, generally, I can see that there is a basic level of respect for all people. People are able to live their lives freely, and that's something I value. I've started a family here. The moments of singing O Canada at the citizenship ceremony and voting in an election in Canada for the first time are pleasant memories that will last forever. Some of my friends from India use the words "back home" to describe India. Life doesn't always turn out perfectly, but after a long path to permanent residency and citizenship, I'm proud to call Canada my home.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Yahoo
Presumed drowning reignites calls for river safety in Kamloops
Despite calls for action following the presumed drowning of an international student last Sunday, the city of Kamloops says it has no plans to add additional safety equipment to local beaches. CBC's Jenifer Norwell explains why.
CBC
28-06-2025
- CBC
I thought my childhood dreams were out of reach. Then I came to study in Canada
This First Person column is written by Chidinma Favour Anosike, who lives in Regina, and is part of a Canada Day series exploring what Canada means to people across this country. For more information about First Person stories, see the FAQ. When I arrived in Canada in the spring of 2023, I was awestruck to see so many bare trees. I had just come from Nigeria where trees stayed green year-round due to the tropical climate. Bare trees were a rare sight, and only meant one thing — that the trees were dead. "Why do they keep trees that don't bear leaves?" I asked the friend who picked me up from the airport. He replied, smirking, "You're here now; why don't you find out yourself?" A week later, I woke up to green leaves sprouting from the tree stems. Every day, they kept growing. I found the process especially fascinating and would take pictures of them every morning. My journey to Canada as an international student has been equally eye-opening. This is a country where students like me can dream big. As a young adult in Nigeria, there seemed little chance for me to break through and have a good career. The economy was bad and corruption was rife, with people getting positions based on their connections rather than their skills or education. My parents wanted better opportunities, improved living conditions and political security for me. They encouraged me to study abroad. Although I'd never left home in 18 years, I felt excited. The day I departed, my mom called me to her room. She prayed for me, blessed me and hugged me tightly. She cried so much. I'd never seen that before, and I cried along. When I thought about leaving to study in Canada, I was determined and said to myself, "Either I make it or make it." Failure was not an option. During my layover at the airport in Toronto, I bonded with some other Nigerian students also heading to the University of Regina. All of us were full of hope and excited to begin this adventure. Within three months of arriving and beginning my studies in business administration, it dawned on me that my new life wasn't as easy as I had fantasized. Some students lost the will to continue and left. Being a student is taxing, but I believe it's triply taxing for international students who deal with isolation and who struggle to adapt to a new culture. The struggle between time zones and expensive flight prices to travel back during study breaks, especially in the -30°C winters, was torturous. That's when it hit me — I was really alone in this new country. I knew isolating myself wasn't an option. To attain the promise and dream given to me by Canada, I had to show up for myself. I began by getting involved, from joining campus clubs to volunteering with my local Jewish community, forming close relationships and bonding with other international students trying to make a life for themselves here. I started an initiative called Chidinma & Friends Regina to bridge the gap between international students and the wider community in the city. My goal was to provide new students with the information and resources they needed to thrive as students in a new country. Getting a job at the Saskatchewan legislature as a page helped me envision a career trajectory for myself. There, I was inspired by the members of legislative assembly, including immigrants like me who were lawyers and visionary leaders. I was impressed by their eloquence. As a child, I had wanted to become a lawyer and make a difference, but my ambitions had wavered. They didn't disappear, but they felt buried under the weight of the reality in Nigeria. Luckily, I was no longer in Nigeria. I called my mom and broke the news that I had decided to pursue a legal career. She asked what made me certain because in the past, I'd changed my mind often. "I just see the future is bright and I can do it here in Canada. It'll take me years, but I think I can do it." I said. She was excited for me and gave her blessings. I'm lucky to have my parents believe in me. They believe that I can take on whatever challenge that comes my way. So I'm chasing my dreams for them and every international student who left home for life here. To show them their dreams are valid. It's been two years since my arrival to Canada, and I have no regrets. I've experienced the four seasons —spring, summer, fall and winter — and realized my newfound love for nature, appreciating its beauty each season. Strangers have opened their homes and now call me family; classmates, mentors, and instructors have become lifelong friends. I feel that I'm fulfilling the promise of the Canadian dream. I'm flying high and chasing my dreams without limitations.
Al Jazeera
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Cornell student on self-deportation from the US
Cornell student on self-deportation from the US UNMUTE Momodou Taal, a British-Gambian international student at Cornell University, talks about the circumstances that compelled him to self-deport from the United States. Video Duration 04 minutes 47 seconds 04:47 Video Duration 05 minutes 11 seconds 05:11 Video Duration 05 minutes 40 seconds 05:40 Video Duration 04 minutes 57 seconds 04:57 Video Duration 03 minutes 46 seconds 03:46 Video Duration 05 minutes 30 seconds 05:30 Video Duration 04 minutes 17 seconds 04:17
