Student stories: Canada-Côte d'Ivoire

Yannick: My name is Yannick. I grew up in Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan to be precise. I am in my second year of studying automated systems electromechanics at the Edmundston campus of the New Brunswick Community College (NBCC).

The best part of this adventure for me was the day I received my acceptance letter for my visa. I was overcome with emotion… I was the happiest man in the world because I was finally going to the country of my dreams, the country where I have always wanted to go.

I decided to leave my home country because I wanted gain better knowledge education-wise. And the teaching in Africa, specifically in Côte d’Ivoire, is more theory-centric. I like the Canadian system more because it is more focused on practice. Canada is truly the best country to help me learn a lot of things in my field of studies: electromechanics.

Electromechanics covers three areas: electricity, industrial mechanic and instrumentation.

I chose NBCC in particular because they have instructors with experience in factories, who have hands-on experience with the subjects they are teaching, who have spent their time, practically years of their lives, working in their field. So they bring more experience, more advice about the work we will certainly do later.

What I like most about Canada, specifically New Brunswick, I mean the city of Edmundston where I am, is the warmth of the people, people who are very welcoming and who do not hesitate to lend you a hand. What I also love is the different types of seasons. Fall is magnificent! Winter here is also amazing, but a little cold.

It was my childhood dream to come to Canada, and when I see that I am here in the country of my dreams, it’s… I still can’t believe it. I often wake up and say, “Am I really in Canada?” And I am fitting in so well… that I really want to have a life here, to move here to live my full life.