COTR Year One.

As of the end of April, my first year at the College is officially done. Finals have been written, projects have been marked, and books have been put aside for a couple of months. People always told me that the time you spend at school is time you should enjoy, because it’s one of the most fun periods out of your life. I have to admit that I always thought they just told me that so I shouldn’t drop out of school, but I now realize that they were right. After working for a couple of years, I decided to go back to school in order to live my dream…and I honestly had the time of my life here! I am of course not always motivated to write essays or read some chapters, but knowledge definitely is power in the changing world we live in. I’m grateful for the things I’ve learned about the tourism industry and I’m definitely looking forward to taking on more courses in order to become a tourism professional!

During the Awards Ceremony, held at the College on Wednesday, April 29, approximately 150 students were showered with flowers either for their academic achievements or for their active commitment within the city of Cranbrook. I received one of the 5 International Students’ Excellence Scholarships, donated by the College, based on my GPA score of 9.0. This means that I have an average score of 9 out of 10 for every course I took during the past 2 semesters. I realize that receiving $2000 in tuition fees for my second year at COTR is a huge deal and I’m therefore thankful for everyone who supported me along the way. My teachers, both my International and Canadian friends, the International office at COTR, and all staff members at COTR all have a place in my heart and I probably couldn’t have done it without every single one of them. So thank you all! It is great knowing that I’m appreciated and valued for the efforts I made.

Although I don’t have to go to school anymore, my life is still pretty busy. I’ve helped Clair from the International Office out with the Orientation week for new students and I’ve also helped my teacher Grant during a regional tourism conference held here at the College and at Saint Eugene Mission. I’ve started going back to the gym (since my body is in desperate need of some physical efforts) and I still work about 5 shifts a week at A&W. Guess it is safe to say that I don’t have a lot of time to get bored, which is a good thing since I have a mind and body that don’t know how to relax. I’m still enjoying every minute I get to spend here and I wished that each and every one of you who reads this once gets the chance to visit beautiful British Columbia!