Erdem Erkoc

Six years ago, I came to this country to join my elder brother studying at an international school here. Adjusting to a new country was relatively easy for my brother and me as we were busy with academics! But my parents found it particularly challenging when they came later from Turkey.

None spoke English, which made our settlement journey much more difficult. In fact, I coordinated with CCSYR to help us with the next steps. The staff hand-held us through the immigration application. And through CCSYR’s extended network, my parents have now built a community for themselves in Richmond Hill. They attended English language classes and eventually met many other families from Turkey through events organized by the agency. At present, I live on my own in Waterloo and am studying a five-year bridge course in economics and accounting. And I’m so relieved to see my parents’ transformation from sulking and lost souls to happy and confident personalities, thanks to CCSYR’s extended social network and continuous guidance.