We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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Alyssia Nahar

Alyssia Nahar | Class of 2022
Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Communication and Digital Media Studies (CDMS)

As a transfer student, I was afraid that my opportunities were limited and doubtful that I could end up in the job of my dreams. However, a wise practicum coordinator once told me "The possibilities are endless and your dream job probably hasn't even been invented yet...but give it 10 years and you'll end up in a role that was better than you could've ever imagined." It took only 2 years, and in that time I found my start at the Durham Rape Crisis Centre, moved onto Assistant Manager and Temporary Program Facilitator at The LivingRoom Community Art Studio, and was given the creative freedom, last summer, by Neighbourlink to create wellness programming for marginalized youth and seniors in North York. The CDMS program helped me tremendously, by encouraging me to integrate my skills in psychology and art to develop meaningful projects that benefited me greatly in my professional pathways and provided unique resources for the communities I served. In my experience, the best part of the CDMS program are the professors; they bring life to the program through their mentorship and passion for teaching. As long as you show initiative, they're always willing to support in any way possible and help you achieve success by the time you graduate. Thank you to the professors that made time to support me, that encouraged me to pursue my passions and that made my remaining years of undergraduate studies at Ontario Tech University memorable.