I thought my childhood dreams were out of reach. Then I came to study in Canada

This First Person file is written by Chidinma Favour Anosike, who lives successful Regina, and is portion of a Canada Day bid exploring what Canada means to radical crossed this country. For much accusation astir First Person stories, see the FAQ.

When I arrived successful Canada successful the outpouring of 2023, I was awestruck to spot truthful galore bare trees. I had conscionable come from Nigeria where trees stayed greenish year-round owed to the tropical climate. Bare trees were a uncommon sight, and lone meant 1 happening — that the trees were dead.

"Why bash they support trees that don't carnivore leaves?" I asked the person who picked maine up from the airport.

He replied, smirking, "You're present now; wherefore don't you find retired yourself?"

A week later, I woke up to greenish leaves sprouting from the histrion stems. Every day, they kept growing. I recovered the process particularly fascinating and would instrumentality pictures of them each morning.

My travel to Canada arsenic an planetary pupil has been arsenic eye-opening. This is simply a state wherever students similar maine tin imagination big. 

As a young big successful Nigeria, determination seemed small accidental for maine to interruption done and person a bully career. The system was atrocious and corruption was rife, with radical getting positions based connected their connections alternatively than their skills oregon education.

My parents wanted amended opportunities, improved surviving conditions and governmental information for me. They encouraged maine to survey abroad. Although I'd ne'er near location successful 18 years, I felt excited.

The time I departed, my ma called maine to her room. She prayed for me, blessed maine and hugged maine tightly. She cried truthful much. I'd never seen that before, and I cried along.

When I thought astir leaving to survey successful Canada, I was determined and said to myself, "Either I marque it oregon marque it." Failure was not an option.

During my layover astatine the airdrome successful Toronto, I bonded with immoderate different Nigerian students besides heading to the University of Regina. All of america were afloat of anticipation and excited to statesman this adventure.

Within 3 months of arriving and opening my studies successful concern administration, it dawned connected maine that my new beingness wasn't arsenic casual arsenic I had fantasized. Some students mislaid the volition to proceed and left.

Being a pupil is taxing, but I judge it's triply taxing for planetary students who woody with isolation and who conflict to accommodate to a caller culture. 

The conflict betwixt clip zones and costly formation prices to question backmost during survey breaks, particularly successful the -30°C winters, was torturous. That's erstwhile it deed maine — I was truly unsocial successful this caller country.

I knew isolating myself wasn't an option. To attain the committedness and imagination fixed to maine by Canada, I had to amusement up for myself. I began by getting involved, from joining field clubs to volunteering with my section Jewish community, forming adjacent relationships and bonding with different planetary students trying to marque a beingness for themselves here. 

I started an inaugural called Chidinma & Friends Regina to span the spread betwixt planetary students and the wider assemblage successful the city. My extremity was to supply caller students with the accusation and resources they needed to thrive arsenic students successful a caller country. 

Getting a occupation astatine the Saskatchewan legislature arsenic a leafage helped maine envision a vocation trajectory for myself. There, I was inspired by the members of legislative assembly, including immigrants similar maine who were lawyers and visionary leaders. I was impressed by their eloquence.

As a child, I had wanted to go a lawyer and marque a difference, but my ambitions had wavered. They didn't disappear, but they felt buried nether the value of the world successful Nigeria.

Luckily, I was nary longer successful Nigeria.

I called my ma and broke the quality that I had decided to prosecute a ineligible career. She asked what made maine definite due to the fact that successful the past, I'd changed my caput often. 

"I conscionable spot the aboriginal is agleam and I tin bash it present successful Canada. It'll instrumentality maine years, but I deliberation I tin bash it." I said. 

She was excited for maine and gave her blessings. I'm fortunate to person my parents judge successful me. They judge that I tin instrumentality connected immoderate situation that comes my way. 

So I'm chasing my dreams for them and each planetary pupil who near location for beingness here. To amusement them their dreams are valid.

It's been 2 years since my accomplishment to Canada, and I person nary regrets. I've experienced the 4 seasons —spring, summer, autumn and wintertime — and realized my newfound emotion for nature, appreciating its quality each season.

Strangers person opened their homes and present telephone maine family; classmates, mentors, and instructors person go lifelong friends.

I consciousness that I'm fulfilling the committedness of the Canadian dream. I'm flying precocious and chasing my dreams without limitations.

Like those trees I archetypal saw erstwhile I arrived successful Regina, I'm putting retired my leaves, knowing I volition travel to afloat bloom present successful Canada, my 2nd home. What could beryllium much fulfilling?

 Do you person a compelling idiosyncratic communicative that tin bring knowing oregon assistance others? We privation to perceive from you. Here's more info connected however to transportation to us.