Life as a Caribbean Student Abroad: Finding Community in Toronto

A Bit of Background

I was born in Montego Bay; a vibrant city located on Jamaica’s northwestern coast. Jamaica is home to people from just about every heritage you can think of. That cultural blend is what inspired our motto, “Out of many, one people.” We value and understand each other like one big family. Many of my days were spent at the houses of neighbours, distant cousins, or one of the many aunties I gained not by blood, but through community.

However, my childhood was anything but stable. At age 2, I ended up in Saint Kitts & Nevis, a tiny pair of islands quite far east of my home country. My class at school consisted of 5 students, and everybody on the island knew each other by name. Then at age 3, I settled in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, where I became the only Spanish-speaker in my family and found a best friend in the lady who sold my favourite tamarind snacks at the front gates of my school. I then lived for 7 years in Barbados, where I spent almost every day off from school at the beach with my friends. Ultimately, I ended up back in Jamaica completing my IGCSE exams.

Journey to TMU & Canada

When I got accepted to TMU for the Criminology program in 2022, I thought being well-travelled and already so immersed in different cultures would prepare me for my university life, both academically and socially, but moving to Canada was the first time I truly experienced culture shock. The only ties I had to my culture were the friends I had who joined me at TMU from Jamaica. The fast-paced city, the cold winters, and even the interactions I had with others were so different to anything I had experienced before. While my friends brought me a sense of home, I was missing the true community I built back at home—shared traditions, values, and understanding.

Life at HOEM

Living at HOEM really helped me find that sense of community. In my first year, I moved in not knowing what to expect as it was my first time living on my own. After going to events like Cultural Night and others catered to first year students, I was able to connect with other Caribbean students, and I also met some amazing TMU students in my program and classes, which made navigating the academic side of my life much easier. But life really changed when I joined the HOEM staff team.

When I began working at the front desk, I realized just how many students I had never been able to interact with. When I moved to the Community Assistant position, it became even more personalized as I was able to assist students firsthand. I have now developed connections with not only students, but also their friends, parents, and other relatives, which allow me to help people who are experiencing the same feeling I felt when I first arrived.

My fellow staff members are where I found some of my closest friends in the city. Working alongside such a passionate group of students has truly been a pleasure, and I can say that I have built bonds that will last a lifetime.

Reflections in My Final Year

As I enter my final year at TMU, I am incredibly grateful to have been able to spend my time at university in this building—it has reminded me that stepping out of my comfort zone is not as scary as it seems and that there is power in the connections you build. After embracing the differences and unknowns I have encountered—and continue to come across—the city no longer feels unfamiliar. Although I’ve spent most of my life bouncing between countries, I can now confidently say I feel grounded in Toronto and can call it my second home.