TFS - Canada's International School

AS A YOUNG CHILD, I used to visit their school after I came home from mine, and I never saw any difference between me and my father's students. When we came to Canada, my parents inspired me to become part of Best Buddies, a program where students with and without intellectual disabilities become buddies, hanging out in and out of school. I was stunned to see how valuable developing friendships with kids their own age was for the buddies and for volunteers such as myself. It was all about having I was born in Iran and lived there until I was six years old. My father, a physiotherapist, noticed there were few learning and activity opportunities for children with intellectual challenges in Iran and so opened a school for them. this group who did not stigmatize them. I'm still friends with Josh, who I met three years ago. We still hang out and go to the movies. I've been part of this club for years and last year I was the co-head. One of the most memorable events that I organized as co-head was when we surprised the buddies with holiday cards. Best Buddies TFS spent an hour making each buddy an individual card, wishing them happy holidays. The buddies were very happy; they even responded with thank you videos for each student! I've also volunteered at the 519 Family Resource Centre in Toronto for LGBTQ families who would have dinner there. Though it may seem small, going in once a week taught me many things about my community and myself. I not only learned many new cooking skills, I also met all these amazing children who were so open. One seven-year-old girl who helped me make the food thought it was so normal to have two moms. When she was reading a book about a lesbian couple, she said, "Oh, they are so in love." What really motivates me to take a stand is when any group of people is not getting the respect they deserve. I was so excited when I started the Gay and Straight Alliance and 60 Senior School students signed up. As one of the first First Citizens, I believe that Adrien and I have the challenging role of setting up what the position is for future students. I believe that being a First Citizen is being able to communicate with everyone in the school. It also means changing our school for the better, so that it is even more a place where we can celebrate and respect our differences. S.A. 20 TFS ENTRE NOUS 2016

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