This work has been inspired by the struggles of many foreign students; some I studied with and others I got to know through friends. The challenges that face foreign students are enormous. Many foreign students do not come because their parents are rich and can afford to send them to a university in Canada. They come because they are determined to build a better future for themselves. As I got to know them, I realized how much they have to struggle in order to complete their education in Canada.

Indeed, this is not just a story of their struggle. It is also the story of my life, your life and that of all the Joes or Jills unknowns. I have recently graduated with a Bachelor's degree in visual arts from Université de Moncton. I have acquired other degrees including a Masters degree but this by far has been the most difficult of the degrees to obtain, given that I knew very little French when I began my studies at UdeM. Clearly, life does hurl huge challenges and it's only through sheer determination, inner strength and courage that we can surmount them.

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