I still have memories of the wind that touched my face when I first arrived in St. John’s, N.L.

It was sharp and unfamiliar. Nothing like home.

Because I was an international student, I quickly learned that being successful is not about the grades.

Success is all about learning how to take one’s rightful place in unfamiliar places.

Emotional support leads to academic success

At Memorial University, I majored in behavioural neuroscience because I wanted to understand the relationship between the brain and human behaviour.

I worked with models of depression, studied the role of gut microbiota and gained valuable experience during my time in different labs.

“I learned that the problem was not often people’s intelligence . . . What they really lacked was someone who could support them.”

In addition to my research, I tutored more than 150 students. I learned that the problem was not often people’s intelligence.

What they really lacked was someone who could support them. As a resident assistant, I had the opportunity to help students deal with their loneliness or anxiety.

Being committed to advocacy resulted in my becoming an international student representative on the student council. I heard stories that resonated with me.

Discussing these experiences for an article for The Independent news site felt like speaking up about something that many of us have been carrying silently.

Academically, I made the dean’s list, received competitive scholarships and continued on from my bachelor of science (honours) degree to a master of science in medicine degree.

I aimed to contribute to autism research and help neurodivergent youth.

Life-changing illness

However, at the very beginning of the year, everything changed. I was diagnosed with a serious lifelong gastrointestinal disease.

Initially, I thought it was just a minor inconvenience. Just a little discomfort that I could deal with.

However, with time it transformed into something that impacted every part of my life, my daily routine, the ability to live properly.

Ultimately, I had to make up my mind to give up my life in Canada, as I needed to obtain urgent medical treatment.

Leaving felt like stepping away from a life I had fought hard to build. Being an international student during a health crisis is complicated and lonely.

You may be physically distanced from your academic life, but you are still mentally tied to it.

Determination = success

Through this time of uncertainty, I also realized an important lesson about resilience.

I realized that moving forward does not always mean moving quickly.

Sometimes, it simply means not giving up. While I was being treated, I was also able to work on my M.Sc. from a distance.

The productivity I achieved was not what I was used to, but it was still progress.

I have come back to Canada, not just to pursue my studies, but also to carry on with the life I have begun.

Success is not simply about accomplishments and rewards anymore. It is now about determination in times of adversity.

Through my experiences, I realized that the journey to creating a better future may not always be straightforward.

At times, you may need to stop and rebuild again. And that is okay.