"You might run into an obstacle in your path, but it doesn't mean you have fallen. The community here is ready to accept you for who you are and give you a strong foundation." -Vineet Rathod
Convocation day is here and Vineet Rathod is bursting with energy.
"It's the final chapter of a great book," Rathod says of his time as an undergraduate student, "but it's still the beginning of a new version in an even better book. I have this feeling that every end is the beginning of a new chapter."
When Rathod first chose to travel from Tanzania to attend the University of Alberta, he had no idea of the many and varied chapters that were in store for him.
Coming to the U of A was an adventure in itself. It was Rathod's first time travelling away from his parents and twin sister. After Rathod received a U of A scholarship, his father presented him with a plane ticket to Edmonton for his birthday-with a departure date a mere seven days away.
"I decided to seize the opportunity," he says, but also confesses, "I was a bit worried about the Canadian winters-I didn't own any winter clothes!" He reached out to Sky McLaughlin, regional manager with U of A International, and shared his uncertainties. "Sky told me to pack my bags and come to the U of A, and said that when I arrived, there would be people to help me and it would feel like home.
"When I heard them say 'Welcome home' I truly felt it," he recalls of his first meeting with U of A International Student Services upon arriving at the Edmonton airport. As somewhat of a seasoned adventurer, Rathod compares his arrival at the U of A to his climb of Mount Kilimanjaro's Uhuru Peak when he was just 15 years old. "I felt uncertain, but I told myself to have the determination and motivation and that everything would work out."
Through the course of his degree, Rathod held on to that mantra.
As he dove into his biochemistry studies, he found classroom life to be quite different from home in Tanzania; adjusting to the modern classroom technologies and science facilities on campus was another adventure in itself. During his first biochemistry course, he approached his professor, Adrienne Wright, for some guidance. "Professor Wright was so supportive. She believed in me and encouraged me to continue giving my best."
Rathod and Wright still keep in touch today. "I have seen both Vineet's challenges, as he adapted in his first couple of years to a Canadian university and a Canadian way of life, and his amazing academic success and personal growth in his third and fourth years," says Wright. "He should be an inspiration to international students who are finding their new life in Canada challenging that patience and hard work pays off and that success is often just around the corner."
Rathod had always been keen on science, but when it came time to choose an elective course, he took the chance to try something new. He selected a course in modern languages and cultural studies and uncovered a hidden talent: writing. "I was so used to holding a pipette," Rathod says with a grin. "It was fantastic to hold a pen to paper and work on something entirely different."
An assignment led him to write an essay about the celebration of Diwali, which was so well received that his professor, Natalie Kononenko, encouraged him to continue writing and exploring that talent. Soon afterward, Kononenko offered him a position as a peer mentor for MLCS courses. Taking on a mentorship role, particularly outside of the realm of science, was a new and rewarding experience for Rathod, who hosted presentations about Tanzanian folklore and offered guidance to fellow students.
"Vineet is very hard-working and very interested in getting the most out of his education," says Kononenko. "And what makes him special is that he was also willing to help others get the most out of their time at U of A."
Then came another new opportunity, one that would take him overseas. In his fourth year, Rathod received a call from Wright, offering him a six-week internship at the University of Leipzig in Germany to complete a directed research project in biochemistry. "Professor Wright asked me: would you like your degree to be even more international? You have already come from Tanzania to Canada, so how about going from Canada to Germany?"
The opportunity was unexpected, he says, "but it came my way and I took it! Not all universities would offer this." Working in a German laboratory setting was not only a great academic experience, notes Rathod, but also a chance to exchange and share cultures by practising the German language with his student colleagues and exploring the country in his free time. Upon his return to Edmonton, Rathod kept his international experience in mind and says that he "felt more inspired than ever" to complete his BSc.
In spite of his enthusiasm, Rathod faced some challenges. As many university students do, he felt pressure to succeed in his courses, resulting in mounting stress. "It's always a learning process," he notes. "You might run into an obstacle in your path, but it doesn't mean you have fallen. The community here is ready to accept you for who you are and give you a strong foundation."
Rathod found his healthy balance by participating in activities both in and out of the classroom. "I want to encourage students who may be shy to volunteer, join a group, and then … form your own group!" After volunteering for various student groups over the years, he decided to take action for a cause close to his heart and his home country, founding the U of A chapter of the Tanzania Heart Babies Project and serving as president for the past two years. The group raises funds and awareness for the National Hospital in Tanzania to support surgeries for children suffering from congenital heart diseases.
This month, Rathod's family is travelling from Tanzania to Edmonton to attend his convocation-their first time in Canada. "They stand by me through thick and thin," he says proudly. Next, Rathod will explore graduate opportunities in biochemistry at the U of A, which he hopes will be the next stepping stone to a future career in medical science.
Reflecting on his U of A journey, Rathod offers some powerful advice to new students arriving this fall: "Treat every new step and opportunity as a driving force, and take on all of the new challenges that come your way."