Thousands of students across the region headed back to school today, but for someone who is attending school in Canada for the first time, this can be a day full of uncertainty and of the unknown.
Roshaan Hajara came to Canada from Pakistan in 2006. She started school in grade 6 student, and she has this advice, “Everyone’s journey is so different, but I know what worked for me personally. Be open to change and understand that you don’t have to give parts up of your culture, because you have the best of both worlds. You can choose who you want to be, and no one can make that decision for you. You have the right to feel like you belong, and you have the right to contribute to your community and you should never feel like you don’t belong in Canada.”
Hajara says it took a few years for her to really adjust, but she says for the newcomers, they need to stay positive and never feel as though they don’t belong in this country.
She says, after a few years, and through group mentoring, she was able to meet people from her community, who had gone through the same challenges as she did, and she was able to finally feel like she was a part of the community.
