A TA L E O F
TWO COUN T R I ES
First experiences in a new country can be exciting, intriguing, and at times, overwhelming. When Zoya first came to Canada, there was one thing that took her by surprise. “It’s so quiet here! Back home, there’s always some type of noise, like children playing in the alleys,” she explains. A second scholarship student in Grade 11 (who requested anonymity), on the other hand, was taken aback on his very first day at Mulgrave. “Mr. Wray, as well as teachers and students, were standing at the front entrance to welcome me. I didn’t expect that - it was very emotional.” Zoya and her classmate are part of a small group of highachieving students from Afghanistan who have received scholarships to study at Mulgrave. Thanks to generous donors in our community, these promising students are able to receive an exemplary education that they can take with them wherever their paths in life may lead. Making the transition to study in Canada did require some adjustment. “In my first year here, there were two layers of difficulty: the language layer, and an academic layer on top of that. That was a bit challenging. The IB system is also different - it is more analytical compared to my previous school. I needed to change the way I was learning so I could adapt,” our Grade 11 student says. 31
The differences between Canada and their home country were also quite significant. Zoya notes, “In Afghanistan, sometimes there are accidents or explosions. Also, being a girl is very difficult because you can’t go outside alone, especially in the evening. Here, I feel safe and at peace.” But both students agree that there is much more to Afghanistan than meets the eye. “Some students we meet have a perception of Afghanistan that it is wartorn,” explains the student. “While there is some truth to that, there are a lot of aspects of the country that are positive, which the media does not show.” The future is bright for these two. Zoya will pursue a nursing degree at a Canadian university next year. “Being a nurse requires empathy and courage, and I strive to have both those qualities.” Her peer, who is a year younger, hopes to enter the field of biotechnology. “Research in this field is thriving, and is important now especially because of COVID.” When asked about his dreams for the future, he concludes, “I ultimately want to serve the Afghan people in some way. I will try to give them what I am given here every day at Mulgrave.”
