Being a Nazarene has its benefits; we have the best youth conferences (NYC) and some of the best camps to go to while growing up. Okay, yes I am a bit biased because all I have known is what it means to be a Nazarene. I will tell you the fun does not stop at just summer camps and the once in a lifetime experience we call NYC. As we grow in our faith and continue with the plan God has for us it can take us to places we would never dream on going.
Is the stress of school getting the better of you? Maybe you’re in the midst of exams and cannot possibly see how you are going to manage everything. How do you stay sane and get through this crazy time?
With the start of a new semester students across the globe dedicate themselves to staying organized once and for all. Fresh out of the previous semester’s exams, which had them scrambling to gather notes and read all the material they only pretended to read beforehand, they vow to be more determined, more disciplined, more prepared.
I had mentioned this in the 'most favorite part of Ambrose,' but let me expand a little bit more here! Many of us love to travel. When we arrive to the destination, food and culture is something that we would tend to look forward to. For myself, I would never miss out trying all the weird food!
As an international student, I’ve been in Calgary for almost six years. I graduated from Ambrose University with a Bachelor of Ministry in Intercultural Studies and then started my Master of Arts in Leadership and Ministry at Ambrose as well.
When I first came to Calgary, my first impression was that everyone was so friendly and respectful with all cultures. I was born and raised in Venezuela but come from a Chinese heritage. Venezuelans would tend to call names when they see Chinese or Americans walking down the streets. But I did not see any of that in Calgary. I also felt really safe when I was walking around here because it would not be a surprise if you were robbed or kidnapped in Venezuela.
As much as I felt safe and respected, I definitely had to adapt to the freezing cold weather and environment. I was a little worried whether I could meet people at Ambrose since I started off as a commuter student and I am an introvert as well. However, that was not an issue. Class sizes were small enough for me to get to know people.
I still have probably a couple of more years to finish my master’s degree and I’m looking forward to see the changes here at Ambrose and all the new faces.
Now I’m sure that when you saw the title of this blog-post, you all thought that I was going to be talking about coming from some extremely far off place in Timbuktu and would be coming from a completely different culture than Canada’s. Well joke's on you!
On residence move-in day my first year, I was the keener who showed up at 9:00 a.m sharp. This was more out of fear than excitement. You see, I had been calling for weeks:
Living with 21 sisters may sound a bit strange, but for me it is my favorite part of living on residence. Growing up without siblings in the home, I thought it would be extremely difficult to adapt to living with 21 people in “my space”. Boy, was I wrong! I was quick to think about all the negatives and I even feared no one would like me, nor would I get along with anyone. Within the first few days of being here at Ambrose my closet had grown 21 times the size of my own, I have made Christ centered relationships with the girls on my floor, and I know they will last a life time. I have also seen the support that comes from my Residence Assistant (she’s the one that looks over the floor to make sure we are doing okay), anytime I need to talk or for her to listen to me vent she is all ears.