I really enjoy this experience and making memories. Making new friends and experience new things I don’t do every day back home! I highly recommend people to apply!
My name is Mary parr, I’m from Kinngait Nunavut. I’m one of the participants from NYA Next. From all the hard work I put in, all through assignments, fundraising and meeting up with my mentor when we had to finish my assignments or fundraise together before coming up here coming here was so worth it. To having to experience living on college campus is so rewarding because we learn so many things like prepare ourselves to college or live in a city life and work on our assignments and getting them finished on time.
The most important things I’m learning so far is communication, being in a large group, time management, learning how to be more comfortable or confident speaking and writing in a large group. These past few weeks living here has been so much doing volunteering, activities, personal learning projects and touring. So far we were touring Algonquin college, museum and Nunavut Sivuniksavut.
The most exciting part of volunteering was going to the beach helping down the volleyball nets and going to the water to swim after we had time when we finished early. Also, one of the most fun part of personal learning project was taking cooking class also dance classes. I’m still getting used to being on time, also with my assignments and living on college campus, and knowing where to go and where bus stops are. Meeting with a group of participants from nwt and Nunavut was the most gratifying part so far and they are like family already living with them.
On July 21, 3pm, me and 4 other participants took a cooking class and it was my first time learning and cooking cod fish salad, we also made couple dish and burned our dessert to make them sweeter. One of the highlights of the day in cooking class was when a guy who worked there named Josh he’s also from baker lake Nunavut was there and helped us cook. The cooking class was at C’est Bon cooking.
Another personal learning project was dancing class in the evening in the same day at 7pm til 7:45, we had a good time with my 3 other participants including me. I guess the dancing class was quick because we really had a good time learning new dance moves and best part was when Kira was there and we were all good dancers. On July 22 at 2pm finishing at 7pm .We went to go volunteer at the park to pick up garbage and with nature walking around seeing ducks rabbits and dogs around the park was really nice.
For the first time living and experiencing city life in Ottawa has been really busy and rewarding because it’s all about balancing and preparing ourselves for what it’s like going to college! You really have to be prepared yourself before coming down here like mentally physically and would have to save tons of money when you go shopping or touring because sometimes you’d have to have your own money to get yourself a little something to bring back home. It’s not always easy to come down here from all the way back home and live in the city for few weeks but from the support from other participants and leaders are so helpful and lucky to have them on our side. I’m so grateful to make new friends make memories and experience this college life. And really recommend people to apply for Northern Youth Abroad!
