International students find their home away from home

From South Africa to Asia, and across rural Manitoba, our residence students come from all over the world as they call St John’s College home when studying as University of Manitoba students. Whether they are studying to become nurses, economists, engineers, or other professionals, the small size of St John’s residence fosters a small community that caters to residents making lasting friendships and residence becoming not simply a place to live but a home away from home.  

We recently spoke with Tawana, who has lived at St John’s since 2019, serving as a Senior Don (RA) since Fall 2022. She moved from Zimbabwe to study psychology and learned about the residence through people from her program. In our conversation, Tawana recounted how from the moment she walked into the residence for the first time, she knew it felt like home. Tawana is one of several students who lived at St John’s during the ups and downs of the pandemic: navigating virtual classes, quarantines, and lockdown restrictions, and helping keep fellow residents safe as part of her role as Senior Don, all the while building close friendships that will last a lifetime.  

Brothers Bryan and Neil have likewise lived at St John’s through the pandemic, with Bryan having called St John’s College home for the past three years and Neil joining him in Winnipeg in January 2022. Coming from a small Ghanaian community, these two weren’t sure what to expect when they moved to Canada; however, it didn’t take long for both to jump headfirst into College culture by attending sporting events, getting involved in Residence and Student Councils, applying for scholarships and bursaries, volunteering to enhance their professional development, and enjoying delicious food.  

Speaking of delicious food and events, here are a variety of benefits residence students get as part of life at St John’s:  

• Single occupancy rooms where students can have their privacy and room wifi. 
• Our comprehensive all-you-care-to-eat meal plan offering 19 meals per week including halal meal plan. 
• Access to residence common rooms including our TV lounge and games room. 
• Access to scholarships and bursaries available only to College members. 
• Academic support, including advisory help and access to a dedicated residence study lounge.    
• 24-hour access to the College campus, including after-hours access to classrooms and meeting rooms for studying or working on group projects.   
• 24/7/365 interpersonal support and referral from a committed team of Dons.   

If you are looking for a place to call home as you study at the University of Manitoba this fall, apply now to St John’s residence. 

Marissa Naylor