Dean Chris Yip with four of the five of this year’s Pearson Scholars. From left: Santiago Gomez Montenegro, Urvi Verkhedkar, Dean Yip, Jose Pablo Siliezar Carillo and Silvia Lopez Portillo. (Photo: Roberta Baker)
A month after arriving from Antigua, Guatemala, Jose Pablo Siliezar Carrillo (Year 1 IndE) has already visited Niagara Falls, ascended the CN Tower and enjoyed his first Blue Jays game.
Next on the list is seeing the defending-champion Raptors. But first: midterms. “It’s been an incredible and incredibly busy six weeks,” says Siliezar.
Siliezar is among five Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship recipients who arrived in Toronto this summer from countries across the globe. The Pearson scholarship, named after Canada’s 14th prime minister, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and U of T graduate Lester Bowles Pearson, recognizes exceptional academic achievement, creativity, leadership potential and community involvement. It covers tuition, books, incidental fees and residence costs for four years.
This year’s Pearson Scholars recently spoke with writer Liz Do about their experiences so far, and how they’re managing the challenges that come with building a new life in Toronto.
Silvia Lopez Portillo
For Portillo (Year 1 TrackOne), a deciding factor in choosing U of T Engineering was being a part of a diverse community within the “cultural powerhouse that is Toronto.”
Since arriving from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Portillo says participating in Frosh Week orientation events helped her ease into university life and introduce her to new friends. “The large international student population gives me the sense that I’m not going through this monumental change on my own,” says Portillo.
Portillo says she’s enjoyed her first six weeks of university, but she and many of her first-year peers still need some time to feel anchored.
“It can be overwhelming. The St. George campus is big, and there are so many things happening, so many things you want to take part in, and so many new faces every day,” she says. “It’s just a matter of time before you figure out what opportunities you want to pursue, and from there, I know finding my community will become easier.”
Munachi Ernest-Eze
Since arriving from Nigeria, Ernest (Year 1 EngSci) says having creative conversations and playing board games in the Engineering Science common room has been an early highlight to his studies.
“It’s a fun way to meet a diverse group of students you wouldn’t otherwise get many chances to interact with,” he says.
He describes his first month and a half as hectic: getting accustomed to the layout of the campus and the city, his class schedule, and prepping for quizzes and now midterms. He says these challenges have helped him bond with his classmates.
“My classmates make me feel supported,” says Ernest, who plans to major in aerospace engineering after Year 2. “Some of my classmates have helped me with school work and just advice about Toronto in general.”
His advice to students considering university abroad: “Prepare as much as you can, learn about the university, its curriculum, as well as the culture of the city and country. From there, just come into the situation with an open and social mindset. Also — enjoy Frosh Week to the fullest.”
Jose Pablo Siliezar Carrillo
Siliezar says it was a dream come true to attend U of T Engineering as a Pearson Scholar.
“I chose U of T Engineering because of its programming, and also because of its diverse community,” he says. “I feel like the perspectives I’ll gain here will help me in the long run as I look to become a leader in the field of industrial engineering when I graduate.”
Apart from checking out popular Toronto attractions, his first six weeks have unfolded as he anticipated: a lot of lectures, studying and assignments. In his spare time, he says he’s already made some close friends and has used his free time to learn more about his new community.
“I think immersing yourself in meeting people is key to transitioning to a new life. I’ve been chatting with some of my professors and getting to know some staff members better,” says Siliezar. “I’m also looking for extracurricular opportunities open to first years.”
He says that although his home country is very different from Canada, he hasn’t faced significant challenges since arriving in August. “The idea of leaving your family and loved ones behind to study in a different country is intimidating, and I anticipated challenges,” he says. “But so far I’ve enjoyed my experience. I think that this is, in part, due to the warmth with which I was welcomed to U of T, and the constant support and acceptance that the Faculty and the other students show.”
Urvi Verkhedkar
Since arriving in Toronto from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Verkhedkar (Year 1, ChemE) has already immersed herself in environmental advocacy efforts.
“Getting involved in my passions has definitely been a highlight,” she says. Verkhedkar recently took part in Global Climate Strike Week events at U of T and in Toronto, and signed up to the city’s youth-led collective, Climate Justice Toronto.
As an international student, she says it’s been daunting to start university in a new country. “It’s been a bit intimidating to make new friends at such a big university, but I’m learning that it’s a slow process and just have to be patient and proactive,” says Verkhedkar, who joined Engineers Without Borders’ U of T Chapter and is writing for the student paper, Toike Oike, in order to foster new friendships.
“The professors and students that I’ve talked to have been very kind and helpful, and I’m confident I’ll settle in well.”
Santiago Gomez Montenegro
Montenegro (Year 1 MSE) says his first six weeks have exceeded his expectations.
“The challenges that come with a completely new lifestyle are outweighed by how much I’m enjoying my program — I really like my mechanics course — and the friendships I’ve made so far,” he says.
So far, Montenegro says he’s become friends and met students from Greece, El Salvador, Panama, Guyana and Turkey, among others. “Meeting them has been a blessing,” he says. “Going out to concerts and restaurants wouldn’t be as exciting without the company of my new family here in Toronto.”
Montenegro says the greatest challenge, common to many students here, has been adapting to a new life without family and friends from his hometown, Panama City, Panama. “Some of the homesickness is alleviated through the friendships I’ve established and by staying in constant communication with everyone back home.”
This story originally appeared on the U of T Engineering News site:
‘Incredible and incredibly busy’: International Pearson Scholars on their first month at U of T Engineering
By Liz Do, October 17, 2019
