Melisa
Melisa hails from Kosovo, the newest country in Europe and one she is used to being asked where it is. She loves to share stories of her history with those who are interested, helping her country gain as much name recognition as she can. She moved to Thunder Bay in 2019 as an international student in the health sciences field, a passion of which she got from her father who works as a physiotherapist for over 30 years. “I am happy that I am given the opportunity to make that impact in the Canadian healthcare system especially during these tough times for everyone.”
She is grateful that Thunder Bay has become such a hub for international students, making the city incredibly diverse for it’s size. Melisa appreciates the small town feel, never one for big cities herself. Everything is accessible, whether by car, bus, or foot and you’re never stuck in traffic. She is glad the snow is melting so she can take her bike out once more exploring the city. With the long sunlight days in the summer, with the sun setting beyond 10pm, it provides ample hours of exploration. She doesn’t even mind the winters - just adding a few extra layers makes it easy. “I personally think winter is as gorgeous as summer, everything turns white and stays looking like that. It looks like winter wonderland. My favorite part of the year is when winter is almost over and the big ice chunks pile up in the shores of Lake Superior - signaling us that the lake is melting, and spring is almost here.”
“When I'm exploring local places, such as different coffee shops or farmer's marketplace – that’s when I feel I'm most connected with the community. “ Melisa loves to learn about the Canadian way of life and having the opportunity to share her own. Her accent gives her away as not being a local and loves to share her story and what brought her to Thunder Bay.
When Melisa was picturing what life would be like studying abroad, a global pandemic that pushed her classes online, made her feel even further away from her family than ever before, and greatly limited the experiences she could have in Canada wasn’t in the cards. However, she is grateful for the support she has had in Thunder Bay this last year.
Living so far away from home, the one item Melisa couldn’t live without would be a computer and wi-fi - “I can video chat my family every day for hours and feel close to them although thousand miles apart… [the internet and a computer are] the only things keeping me connected to everyone I’m so far away from.”
“Growing up in a post war developing country, where all it had known for the longest time was conflict - has taught me that just like my people, I am resilient. My roots have not only shaped who I am, but they have made me find happiness in the simplest things in life, such as in a cup of coffee in the morning sun. This all has made me to not take life for granted and be always down for spontaneous adventures - even if it means going skydiving in a random summer day.”