I finished the Community, Family and Child Studies program (CFCS) this winter semester and it feels so great. Finally, I could see assignments and exams coming to an end. These two years have been wonderful and so full of learning experiences, hard work, new people, and curiosity. These two years have also been intense and loaded with emotions. This program has opened my heart and eyes, undoubtedly.
My academic life already started some years ago with my bachelor’s degree. Then, in 2020, when the pandemic hit the world, I was trying to defend my master’s thesis. I remember saying, “I don’t want to study anymore. I am so done with this studying thing.” Little did I know that after some months I’d be looking for a new program to enrol in.
Behind every choice I’ve made in my scholarly life, there’s always been a particular connection. For instance, I studied education because I started teaching when I turned 17 and I was sure that was my vocation. Next, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in Performing Arts as a genuine attempt to integrate my love for classrooms with my passion for acting and dancing.
How does the CFCS program at Camosun fit in this puzzle? After working for some years with a large spectrum of families, children, youth, and adults, I realized I wanted to develop more tools to support individuals through arts and education. After some exhaustive research, I found this unique program that immediately clicked with what I wanted to achieve. I checked the curricula and right away could see myself at Camosun. Would this be it? Is this what I really wanted? After some months, my family and I were packing our lives in four bags that travelled through four different planes all the way from Peru.
Now that I’ve just finished this adventure at Camosun, I’ve made a list of things the CFCS program brings into your life that no one tells you about.
Self-appreciation
First things first: get a mirror and make sure you look at your reflection every single day. That mirror will reflect a face full of happiness, excitement, and—I’m not trying to sell perfection—exhaustion. It’s in charge of reminding you what a great person you are and the steps you had to take to move forward. The CFCS program has a big reflective component that allows you to delve into your personal world, and you learn that you have to consciously acknowledge the positive within you.
Time is pure gold
This program doesn’t bring time into your life. However, it does help you develop a great awareness for this valuable resource. As you can tell, it’s no secret that I’m not a teen student anymore, so I’m somewhat experienced with time and due dates. Nevertheless, studying in a new country and being a mother were two unique challenges while being a full-time student. My time at Camosun taught me attention to detail while keeping in mind the big picture. In other words, planning time slots for assignments and projects while not losing perspective that you also have a life.
New friends, old friends
The connections I’ve built with my classmates are sui generis—all so diverse, from many countries, speaking distinct languages, with each one of us going through different life stages and yet managing to find a special bond. It gives me that unique sensation of familiarity and affection, as if we had met during our childhood years. Teamwork projects, innumerable hours in class, our nonstop conversations on life and love, our internal jokes and nicknames, the many tears we shared, the support we gave to each other, and, of course, all the food we ate together. All those memories are in the past but hold an importance in my thoughts today.
Childcare services
Are you aware that Camosun College has a daycare facility on each campus? If you weren’t, you are now. Having my child at the Camosun Childcare services has been one of the best decisions I’ve made since I arrived in 2022. Not only are the logistics fantastic if you drop off your child at the same campus where you study, but the human warmth I’ve found in every person at my son’s daycare has been outstanding. I have nothing less than infinite gratitude to every educator who has taken my child under their wing. Being new in a country without knowing any English and being barely a year and a half, my son was able to easily adapt due to the immense care and patience every educator showed him.
New colours
As you can tell, one of the aspects I have enjoyed the most is the vast diversity Camosun holds. I’ve met people from all seven continents in these two years. Being able to talk and establish a connection with a wide variety of people is a singular sensation that could only be compared to a young person discovering Around the World in Eighty Days for the first time.
My time at Camosun opened a new set of nuances in the cosmovision I held about life and diversity. It went beyond what I’ve always experienced back in Peru, as I discovered that cultural diversity comes along with inclusion. My understanding of cultural diversity went beyond the identification of nationalities. I realized that what makes up a culture is not only your country, but your upbringing, your beliefs, the whole extent of your identity as a human. In this sense, I think that Camosun is doing visible work in promoting college activities and opportunities to integrate and respect our identities, preferences, and experiences: the annual Cultural Showcase, the celebration of Holi, the active participation at the Victoria Pride Parade, the social media awareness regarding fasting and Ramadan, and volunteering possibilities, among other options.
My classes have allowed me to appreciate the brightness in those new nuances I discovered. The way each topic has been delivered in class and the care each teacher took to support us along this learning journey has been incredible. I feel a big sense of appreciation toward every single instructor I’ve met since I started in September 2022.
I gained colourful insight when I started to get a deep understanding of Canadian culture. When I talk about it, I don’t only refer to the everyday interactions and societal protocols, but I’m also referring to the incredible Indigenous cultures that I wasn’t aware of. I’m so grateful and honoured that these lands in which Camosun College is situated, the territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Kosapsum) and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, have granted me with the opportunity to learn here. Acknowledging this essential cultural and historical piece in Canadian history made me more connected to these lands as I was able to find similarities and connections to my Peruvian and Indian heritages.
Last but not least, due to the cultural diversity Camosun has, I’ve really enjoyed fitting in. Being half Peruvian and half Indian can often be, believe it or not, difficult. I’ve had to answer the question “Asian or Latin American?” more than once. The Camosun culture has allowed me to embrace both cultures and portray the best of both worlds.
Lifelong learner
After working in the education field for over 15 years, I’ve heard the term “lifelong learner” quite a bit. Many international schools and first-world scholastic environments promote lifelong learning experiences as a way to ensure these students will always… learn? If you’re confused, as I once was, about this pompous expression, let me explain it to you through my first-hand experience at Camosun.
As I’ve previously mentioned, the way in which the CFCS program is designed is tailored to make you question what we see and to confront the biases we carry. The program made me notice that we all have some sort of bias or prejudice that interferes with our judgement and decisions—the systems around us while we grow in life, the education we receive, our daily interactions, our friends, everything and everyone contributes to the people we are today. In this regard, this program makes you explore the person behind your many layers; it provides you with tools to connect with your inner self. This means that after you know what your strengths and areas for development are, you will be a more complete version of yourself to provide support to individuals in the community. To put it another way, you gain skills to understand the world in you and around you, which allows you to constantly build a better version of yourself so you can serve your community.
The fact that you are asked to revise who you are and what you are good at gives you a lifelong learning perspective as it acknowledges your natural human drive to explore and grow, and it improves your sense of self-worth by focusing on goals or ideas that inspire you. Moreover, this process is associated with your own personal and professional growth, something we’re regularly seeking as humans, which means it’s something we aspire for the rest of our lives. That’s why I dare to call my studies at Camosun a lifelong learning experience.
I think that the CFCS program recognizes the natural curiosity every student has and uses it as a way to encourage learning. Sometimes I wonder if I chose it or if the program chose me. I’ve grown so much, even though it’s been a challenging two years. This piece is a way to honour these lands that have taken care of me, all the lessons I’ve learned, all the instructors who’ve shared their wisdom with me, the countless moments of laughter I’ve shared with my friends, all the difficulties involved with migrating here, the immeasurable support my family has given me, and, most importantly, the self-determination I thought I didn’t have.