International student adapts to life in Canada with help from Georgian services and community
June 15, 2021
Torino, Italy is a sophisticated, ancient and bustling metropolis. It’s also the birthplace and home town of international student and globetrotter Antonio Sardella.
Sardella has lived in the US and Japan. He added Canada to his list of home countries when he began studying at the Barrie Campus last year. He says he started his postsecondary journey in Simcoe County because it has a small town feel.
The Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant student says that starting a new life in a new country in the middle of a global pandemic was tough at first, but that Georgian’s services and community made him feel both welcome and included.
“Everyone is respected for who they are and who they want to be, no matter what their skin colour, ethnic background, or sexual orientation and identification is,” adds Sardella.
What drew you to Georgian College?
I have visited 50 countries around the world in my former profession as a dancer, teacher, adjudicator and coach, but felt I needed to make a big life change. I began researching Georgian programs, and decided to call this city my new home and to start my new path at the college because of the smaller class sizes and community feel.
What is drawing you to Georgian’s LGBTQ2S+ community?
I wanted to find more people that identify with the LGBTQ2S+ community. It’s been very hard to make new connections in a pandemic where everything is closed due to the lock down and in a remote learning environment where everyone is isolated. I’m also new to Canada, so I am looking to the LGBTQ2S+ community to meet new people, make new friends, and maybe (hopefully) find my future prince!
How have Georgian Pride or Georgian services helped you in your postsecondary journey?
In general, Georgian’s wide range of services, and the mentor program at the college – I’m now myself a mentor! – and the Georgian College Students’ Association (GCSA) have been very helpful in adapting to a new place. I’m also grateful that my professors are very open and make everyone feel included.
What have your experiences been like as a member of the LGBTQ2 community at Georgian?
Overall very good! I’m an openly gay man and I have never felt disrespected here at the college for my sexuality or identification with the LGBTQ2S+ community. I like the sense of inclusion the college represents – everyone is respected for who they are and who they want to be.
What are your long-term goals and plans?
I have so many dreams still to fulfil. At the moment, I’m taking things one day at a time because I had to adapt and change all the plans that I made due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But I’m a big dreamer – I have a plan in mind, but am also open to going with the flow and just seeing what happens.
This post was originally published June 2021 and updated June 2022.