First year psychology student finding her home in college residence
Travelling from Kenya alone to arriving at the St John’s college residence, it’s been an exciting journey for Grace.
Finding a place like home where you can connect with friends and enhance your student experience is what St John’s college residence is about. Grace started her journey to Canada from Kenya to the University of Manitoba last fall, where she now stays in the St John’s college residence.
The first-year psychology student, currently in the Faculty of Arts, came to Canada last fall to the University of Manitoba, where she started her passion for learning about mental health. After 24 hours of travel to Canada, Grace felt at home at her college residence. Although it was late when she arrived, it took her no time to meet those around the residence, including the dons and residence council, who have quickly become some of her best friends.
As Grace describes,
“The residence is a diverse and welcoming place. When I first came in, I could relate to the students because they have had similar experiences and understand what I’m going through.”
Whether it be connecting around food, talking about classes in the dining hall, movie nights in the lounge, studying together, or just catching up on life, Grace is grateful for the community she has found at the St John’s college residence as she works to pursue her psychology dreams.
As the Communications Director at the St John’s college residence Council and weekly volunteering with the CanU program, Grace is taking her university experience by storm as she works to develop her skills and abilities for her future career.
“I love getting involved in any way I can to better myself and others. Learning new skills I can apply for my future career has been exciting, and I can’t wait to see where everything goes.”
Outside of her volunteering and council work, Grace loves a movie night with her friends in the lounge while eating comfort food, which has become one of her favourite memories in college. This has become a time for her to connect with her friends, have a sense of home, and relax outside of a busy study schedule.
Grace plans to work towards a PhD in psychology following her undergraduate studies, where she hopes to bring back her work to make positive mental health change in Kenya.
The St John’s college residence has open rooms for students needing accommodation for the January 2024 or Summer 2024 semesters. Students can apply on the college website here.
You can also learn more about the college residence benefits which all students receive. ”