Khymila Quan-Vie - BOLD Stories

If there was ever such a thing as love at first sight, Khymila Quan-Vie knows it all too well.
From the first time she learnt about Brescia, saw photos and heard the stories, something piqued her interest, and she knew she wanted to experience what Canada’s only all-female institution had to offer.
And while there were many things that attracted her to Brescia, it was the offering of the preliminary year that was the selling point for the then 16-year-old.

“Back in 2016 I went to the college fair back at home and while walking around, I came across the booth for Brescia. They told me about their preliminary year, which allowed me to come here after I completed my CSEC exams. I thought this was a great idea, so I left with the brochure in hand and thought about it. A year later I decided it was what I wanted to do.
I applied to Brescia, and I was accepted to the Fall 2018 class preliminary year and that’s how I began my journey,” Khymila recalled.

“I would say the preliminary year was the selling point about Brescia for me because the classes are so small, you get to speak with your professors and classmates, so it’s a very easy transition into university life, it’s a great stepping stone. You get the university experience, you are on campus, you go to your classes, you live on campus, you get to learn your way around campus and so on.”

 

She further explained that she fell in love with the idea of the preliminary year because it offered her an opportunity to experience university life and explore different subjects before officially choosing a program.

And though young and afraid at the time, Khymila packed her backs, left her hometown in Trinidad and Tobago, and moved halfway across the world, to begin her university journey and her life has not been the same since.

She said initially she had reservations because she was unsure of what the atmosphere would be like and whether people would be open to learning more about her culture. But she said her experience at Brescia’s Bridging Week completely changed that.

“My mom signed me up for the Bridging program which I was also afraid to go to as well. I started and that was probably the best week I had at Brescia because it gave me the opportunity to meet other international students, get to know the campus, get to know London, and that transition into being and living in Canada which was a big deal. Bridging Week was the turning point for me and made it so much easier,” the 21-year-old said.

 

She also added that she wholeheartedly believed being bold meant showing up as your authentic self,  designing a life you enjoy and accessing spaces and opportunities that may not otherwise be the norm for you.

Now in her 4th year doing an honours specialization in Nutrition and Dietetics, Khymila, who is also a Resident’s Advisor at Clare Hall, said she has had a full, amazing experience at Brescia, one she will cherish forever. And given that she had such an all-round, fulfilling journey at Brescia, it was hard for her to pinpoint one favorite thing about her journey.
However, she said if she absolutely had to choose, it would be her experience at Bridging Week, which she said set the tone for the rest of her journey.

 

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“After my first Bridging Week, coming back as a facilitator for that following one was very impactful because I got to do what other people did for me, which was help international students transition into university life.”
“Then with that, becoming a Community Assistant and then a Resident’s Assistant allowed me to support students in their transitions and on their university journey which I think is my biggest highlight here at Brescia,” Khymila said.

In addition to that, Khymila said the Brescia community was something special, and something she was blessed to be a part of. It was the Brescia community she said helped her to become a bold, self-assured young woman, ready and willing to take on any challenge.

As she prepares to move on to the next stage of her academic journey, Khymila said there were many things she would miss about Brescia but stressed that she would take all she has learnt, and all the beautiful memories with her for the rest of her life.

“I will take what I’ve learnt at Brescia away with me and that is to be a bold student and embrace everyone around you and create that community. With that being said, the community is what I will miss most about Brescia. Being able to speak to everyone around you and not being afraid that people will be mean to you or just being able to go out and speak to everyone on campus. It’s the community that makes Brescia what it is.,” she added.

But she did reveal that she has applied for a master’s program at Brescia and was hoping she would get the opportunity to continue her journey here.

And she said if she could encourage more young women to come to Brescia, she would, and she reassured them that coming to Brescia would be the best decision they would ever make.

How is Khymila developing her BOLD?

“Being bold to me embodies everything that a Brescia student is. When I first came, I remember wondering what being bold really meant. I quickly understood what it meant from going to classes, meeting with other students, just simply walking down the hallway and everyone is friendly to you, it makes all the difference.”

“Professors enable you to participate in different things and they encourage you to just get out there and put yourself out there. And I think because of the environment we have here where everyone is so welcoming and so open, it really makes you bold, Brescia bold, because you want to step up and get out there, get involved in the community, you want to be a part of the other clubs and it’s just everything a Brescia student is – bold,” Khymila stressed.

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“Do not be afraid. I came here when I was 16, I was very young, and I was very afraid that because I was so young, I would be considered immature, but everyone here is just the most welcoming. You walk down the hallway, and someone says hi, the Mercato staff are very sweet, the custodians are great, everyone is just so welcoming.”

“So being afraid of not being seen or not being welcomed into the environment is not something you should fear, it’s just a comfortable environment, a comfortable community, it really is that home away from home for me and I know for many other students as well.”

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