Being a long way from her home in São Paulo, Brazil, Fatimat Shidi was appreciative of the warm welcome she received from the University of Northern British Columbia community.

Shidi came to study at UNBC in July, 2013 through the program Science Without Borders. In Brazil, Shidi was studying toward an undergraduate degree in biotechnology at the Federal University of Alfenas. She started at UNBC by taking English classes at the undergraduate level.

“You can really be close to the professor at UNBC,” Shidi said. “They help you. They also understand that as an international student, English is not your first language, and they offer extra help if you need it.”

It was this support that inspired Shidi to continue her educational journey and pursue graduate studies at the university. In January, 2014, professor Stephen Rader offered Shidi the opportunity to start doing splicing research in his lab, and by July, she had a regular internship.

“I came back because I really liked the projects and the university,” Shidi said. “I was offered the opportunity to finish my [splicing] project as a Master’s student, and now I work as a teaching assistant in chemistry.”

Shidi says there is a fantastic community of international students at UNBC that allowed her make friends more easily. She also likes the unique recreational opportunities B.C. has to offer.

“I like B.C. a lot because the environment is really great,” Shidi said. “I’m from a big city. Here, you are so close to nature, and that is what I like. You can go camping and there’s lots to do.”

Shidi is scheduled to finish her Master’s in biochemistry in 2017. Though she is unsure of her future career goals, she does admit that B.C. offers unique opportunities in her field and she is considering staying.

“Sometimes I think that maybe I will do a PhD and start teaching, or maybe apply at a biotech company,” Shidi said. “Canada gives me a lot of opportunity that I didn’t have in Brazil. Canada has good science funding.”

When asked if she would recommend B.C., and UNBC in particular,  as a study destination to other international students, Shidi admitted she has already offered encouraging words to friends back in Brazil.

“One friend in Brazil knows I am studying here, and I said I think he should come here for his PhD,” Shidi said. “I told him that he should come here because, first of all, you get a good network. You can talk with a lot of professors to make opportunities. Also, the professors like to talk to you. The city is small, so it is also really affordable.”