People of Georgian: International student ambassador travels world to embrace new cultures

What’s your story?

October is Latin American Heritage Month. To celebrate, all this month we are sharing stories from members of Georgian’s Latin community. Plus, our International Centre is sharing fascinating information about a different Latin country every day this month on Instagram – make sure to follow along!

People of Georgian: Meet Camila Alejandra Ardila Higuera

I’m from Bogotá, Colombia, and I also lived in Argentina and Australia for three years each, and now I live in Canada.

I like to travel. I have been in Mexico. I have been in the U.S., in Miami and New York.

When I was in Australia, I asked for a tourist visa to go to New Zealand, so I went there for two weeks.

A person smiles in front of a large outdoor wall mural featuring a red and yellow flower. — *Camila in Miami.*

A person stands outside and smiles on a large bridge. — *Camila in New York City.*

A person stands outside and smile in front of a large, silver metal statue of a flower. — *Camila in Argentina.*

Experiencing similarities, differences while travelling

I like to travel to know different countries and backgrounds.

I learned that in Argentina the meat is really good, the wine is amazing.

In Australia, there were different kinds of food to try, but the food from your own country you’d buy in specialty stores is so expensive.

Another thing I’ve noticed is the people are different between the countries I’ve lived in. For example, in Argentina, they are Latin people like in Colombia, so we have some similarities but also we have some differences.

‘We speak Spanish, but our Spanish is different’

These countries are family centred. Families get together on the weekends and do barbecues.

Also with the jobs where I worked, they used to have a lot of reunions together. Everyone engaged with each other and that was really nice.

We speak Spanish, but our Spanish is different, so I had to learn some new terms.

A person smiles next to a kangaroo that's eating out of their hand. — *Camila in Australia.*

A person crouches down in front of the front door of a house build into a hill. — *Camila in New Zealand.*

‘I haven’t been disappointed at all with Canada’

When I went to Australia, I met everyone from around the world – the UK, Chile, Bangladesh, India, Mexico – and we were all working together.

Same as here in Canada, it’s a multicultural country.

I just know that the people that go to another country are similar. You know they miss their families but are enjoying a new culture and new place.

I haven’t been disappointed at all with Canada; I like it here.

When we saw through the window it was snowing, we put our boots on and our jackets and went out to touch the snow and to call our families and show them.
Camila Alejandra Ardila Higuera

I am a winter person. Australia and Argentina have winter, but it’s mostly, like, rainy and cold. The snow is something new and is really nice.

In my home country, my city, where I come from, is a cold city, so you have temperatures between 20 C and 10 C.

The summer is a little bit hard for me because I’m a hot person, I’m hot all the time. Winter is nice because I feel fresh.

When I came here last year, we already had the boots and the winter jacket ready. When we saw through the window it was snowing, we put our boots on and our jackets and went out to touch the snow and to call our families and show them.

A person smiles and leans against a railing in front of a pool with an ocean and lounge chairs in the background. — *Camila in Cancun.*

A person stands at a lookout next to a large flag and a city sprawled out below. — *Camila in Cartagena.*

‘You can find your place in your life here’

Working here in the International department, I realized that the kids that come here who are 18 or 19 years old, sometimes they are like, “I want to go back home because I miss my family. I don’t have any friends.”

My advice to them is be open.

I know that you miss your family. I miss my family, too. But you can call them all the time if you miss them.

We have so many spaces here at college to meet people.

Be open to people and maybe you can find your place in your life here.

Camila Alejandra Ardila Higuera, student in Georgian’s Business – Marketing program, and a Student Ambassador, International Education and Development.