I was 6 months old when my parents fled Sri Lanka because of the war. We lost everything as our house was completely destroyed by the missiles. We fled to India with only the clothes on our backs. After my parents struggled in India for 6 years, my grandmother who lived in Winnipeg, sponsored us to come to Canada.

I remember when I first arrived in Winnipeg, it was a cold December night and I was wearing a dress and my legs were cold. For the first time in my life, I witnessed my first snow fall. It was so surreal because Sri Lanka was so hot. So I stuck my tongue out to catch snow flakes in my mouth.

In January, I started school and it was all new to me because I've never been to school before and I also didn't speak any English. This was a struggle for me throughout grade 1 and I overcame this with the help of my grandmother who herself is an immigrant. We moved to Toronto when I was 12 and currently I'm enrolled in Child and Youth Worker program in George Brown College and I received an A in English and I'm also on the honour roll list. I work part time in a large grocery store.

If it wasn't for my parents struggle and bravery to come to an new country where everything is foreign and new, I would not be where I am today. I am grateful and thankful that Canada has given my family and I a great opportunity to strive.