By Bana Yirgalem
Disclaimer: The president of International Students of The Creative School, Brithi Sehra, is a photo editor at The Eyeopener, but Sehra had no role in the reporting of this article.
International students at Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) Creative School recently formed a new student group—International Students of The Creative School (ISTCS)—to find a sense of belonging within the school community.
While some groups focus more on accepting diverse cultures or on celebrating personal identity, ISTCS does both. The team group was created for international students within the faculty to have resources that the group didn’t have.
Aniqah Khatri, co-vice president of marketing at the ISTCS is originally from India but grew up in Dubai. The third-year creative industries student said the process of creating the club started when Alexandra D’Arcy, an industry liaison for her program, invited international students to discuss their own experiences in front of members of the creative industries board.
“[ISTCS] is also a hub for meeting other international students in their programs who are going through the same experiences”
“We discussed the challenges that international students face and how there should be more resources specifically in The Creative School and this led to the idea of ISTCS,” said Khatri.
Khatri said attendees were shocked when they entered the university and discovered there weren’t specific resources and support for international students in the faculty. However, when D’Arcy heard those concerns, she helped guide the process of starting a Creative School international student group.
“It’s important for faculty-specific groups like this to exist to ease that transition and guide students through the process,” Khatri said. “[ISTCS] is also a hub for meeting other international students in their programs who are going through the same experiences.”
In a previous statement emailed to The Eyeopener, a TMU representative said the school hosts a variety of events to support the needs of international students, such as providing mindfulness and meditation sessions, in addition to the International Student Support (ISS) services.
Currently, TMU has approximately 4,000 international students hailing from 140 countries according to the university’s ISS page.
However, Douglas Aceiro Filho, a fourth-year creative industries student from Brazil and vice-president of finance of ISTCS, had his own opinions. He said although it’s great different groups on campus support diverse communities, there wasn’t one in the faculty focusing on students coming from abroad.
“There are no focused collectives of international students that advocate for the wellness, support and representation of the community,” Aceiro Filho said.
Khatri said discussions with The Creative School board led to the creation of ISTCS, which was fully established in October 2023 and launched on March 26, 2024.
“There are no focused collectives of international students that advocate for the wellness, support and representation of the community”
Deborah Mwanakatwe, the executive administrator for ISTCS and third-year creative industries student from Zambia, said inclusivity within the faculty and TMU community is one of their main goals.
“We want to foster connections between international students and build a sense of belonging within the faculty,” she said. “The ISTCS essentially wants to create a home away from home.”
Amid the team’s launch event, members shared that while it was late in the year, support from their peers was great to see. After a discussion portion, members were encouraged to play games with one another.
“It really felt like a community and it was comforting to hear that [none]of us were alone in our experiences here”
“The atmosphere was great, especially during the discussion portion of each participant’s backgrounds and what their experiences were,” he said. “From the difficulties we experience, the changing opinions of Canadian society with regards to international students and challenges we face within ourselves.”
Khatri echoed this sentiment, saying it was great to see everyone get along. “It really felt like a community and it was comforting to hear that [none]of us were alone in our experiences here,” Khatri said.
Since the ISTCS is starting as a smaller student group, Aceiro Filho said support from other student groups at TMU or within the creative industries faculty can help them gain a wider outreach to other students at the university.
“Affiliations with other student groups [can] drive this initiative forward to have the practical ability and innovative knowledge to create, if not a difference, at least an awareness for the wider student body and faculty,” Aceiro Filho said.
With the school year ending soon, the team members acknowledged it’s hard for students to host more events since many international students may be travelling home.
The club is hoping to gather more resources and continue to plan events for students to keep building their sense of community next school year.
“Students can also be certain that the ISTCS will provide spaces for them to form new relationships and enjoy their student life,” Mwanakatwe said. “The ISTCS will also be providing information and support for students navigating their new life in Canada regarding banking, taxes, apartment hunting, the subway system, visa applications and more.”
“Students can also be certain that the ISTCS will provide spaces for them to form new relationships and enjoy their student life”
Khatri said the sense of belonging and a haven for those who may not have had it in their faculty before remains the main goal for the team for the future.
Those interested in joining the club next year can reach out now by Instagram or email at istcs2024@gmail.com.
“We really want to provide a space where international students can have fun, be themselves, create genuine connections, and take advantage of the resources available to them for academic and career success,” said Khatri.
Leave a Reply