Christy Anoh, a Grade 10 student at Collège Notre-Dame, has displayed a remarkable commitment to various school activities and initiatives, such as the Alliance committee, the Well-Being committee, the Breakfast Program and the Mission-Vision group.
She also hosts the school’s Diffusion étudiante (Student Broadcast). To add a splash of athleticism, she joined the school gymnastics team.
Not content with these extracurricular activities, Anoh also represented the school at the Sudbury Regional Science Fair held in April at Laurentian University, and stood out for her project entitled “Vent et eau” (Wind and Water), earning the Collège Boréal Award for the best French-language project in the Junior Division, as well as the SNOLAB Award for Innovation in Underground Science.
Anoh has not had it easy. Her family recently immigrated from the Ivory Coast, a small country in western Africa.
“My mom has always had the desire to offer us a better future,” said Anoh. “Whether in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) or elsewhere, she asked us to give our best to always be at the top and never at the bottom. I think she chose Canada because the environment probably suited us.”
The Anoh family gave away most of their clothes in preparation for the trip. Said Anoh, “They were not only inappropriate but also too heavy for the journey. We donated all our clothes to the poor areas of the country where poverty had reached a high level. Some of our belongings were sold to make some money for the trip … I must admit it wasn’t easy for me to part with some dresses I was very attached to. But the idea of discovering Canada overshadowed all this sadness.”
It was a tumultuous voyage for the Anohs. Christy described it as a journey “between several planes.”
Burdened with luggage containing all of their belongings, they had problems with flight connections and customs.
Said Anoh, “Among the many flights, we almost missed one, from Montreal to Toronto. At security, they subjected us to a thorough search. We had medications in our suitcases, which they took out and opened one by one to check for anything suspicious. Meanwhile, we were being called constantly because the plane was about to take off. After all these checks, we ran and finally boarded.”
Arriving in Toronto, they were immediately subjected to the harsh reality of the Canadian climate.
“Stepping outside, I was struck by the cold, which was unbearable for me,” said Anoh. “The funny thing is that while sleeping at the airport, I lost one of my gloves. The cold not only froze my brain but also the rest of my body. My mom was somewhat accustomed, but my sisters and I were not.”
After dealing with taxi issues, language barriers and even racism, the Anohs made their way to
Sudbury. It was after almost missing the bus from Toronto to Sudbury they encountered an all too familiar problem.
Said Anoh, “When we were about to board, it was stated that we had to pay for our extra suitcases, even though we had already done so. But no, the man insisted. He said we couldn’t board with our carry-on luggage.
“He said we would have to pay at the next stop. What’s strange is that once we were on the bus, we noticed a lady with a huge travel bag, even though the man had said we should not have luggage on the bus. But we didn’t say anything.
“As agreed, at the stop, we had to pay, but another man said no, we didn’t have to pay because his colleague was somewhat racist. He was really kind. So, we resumed the trip and finally arrived in Sudbury. Thanks be to God.”
Having no accommodations for the first ten days in Sudbury, the Anoh family stayed in a “furnished residence.” On the second day, Christy experienced snow for the first time.
“I saw snow falling. It was my greatest pleasure,” said Anoh. “What I had only seen in movies had become a physical reality. While my sisters and my mom were sleeping, I rushed into the yard to enjoy the snow. My joy was so great that I can’t really describe the effect it had on me. I realized I was in Canada. It was amazing to handle the snow and appreciate its texture, and I understood that a new beginning was before me.”
Asked about her participation as a radio host with Diffusion étudiante, Anoh is enthusiastic.
“My involvement with my school’s student radio stems from my passion for communication and my desire to talk to people,” she said. “This experience is a novel opportunity for me, as I’d never had the chance to do radio in my home country. I wanted to try something new and challenge myself. Speaking into a microphone is an extremely exciting experience. Making announcements and hosting shows helps me to overcome my shyness and express myself more easily in public.
“Student radio isn’t just a means of communication, it’s also a space for learning and having fun. On top of all that, participating in the school radio and TV programs is a source of pleasure and entertainment. It’s an activity that combines the useful with the pleasurable, allowing me to blossom while developing my communication and expression skills.”
Anoh refuses to content herself with any single subject. Instead, she’s curious, and always looking for her next interest.
“I’m really happy to learn new things and try new activities,” she said. “Why limit yourself to just one thing? I really enjoy exploring and testing everything I can. It makes me really happy, and after all, isn’t that what life's all about?”
It was this sense of adventure that led her to the award-winning project in the Sudbury Regional Science Fair.
Said Anoh,“My project, entitled ‘Wind and Water,’ is part of an ecological and scientific approach, because I believe that science is a valuable way of helping to preserve the planet. For me, science should serve this purpose. I decided to explore two types of renewable energy: wind power and hydropower. My aim was to understand how these energy sources could reduce our dependence on fossil fuels such as gas and oil, with a view to improving the health of our planet.”
Anoh is thoughtful about her inspiration, “I don’t really have any inspiration — just desire. The desire to make the most of everything life has to offer. The desire to learn, to discover new things, to better understand the world, to have more fun, to live more intensely. This thirst for life and discovery drives me to constantly explore new experiences and embrace every opportunity with enthusiasm.”
Looking into the future, Anoh is ambitious.
“I have many plans for the future, but the ones I really want to accomplish are linked to my passion for justice,” she said.
“I dream of becoming a lawyer. It’s not just a profession for me, it’s a vocation. Through this work, I’ll be able to dispense justice and do good, which I’m very passionate about. Being a lawyer is so interesting and exciting.
“If I can’t make this dream come true, I'd like to run a non-profit company, like an NGO, to help people in need. I really do have a lot of ideas for my future, but these two are the ones I visualize most clearly. And why not, in the worst-case scenario, be a lawyer and company director at the same time? There’s nothing to stop me from pursuing these two paths simultaneously.”
Christy Anoh’s words of inspiration
It’s essential to trust in God and in yourself. Life can be difficult, but you have to live it fully, realize your dreams and make the right choices. All you have to do is follow your passion and persevere.
James Stewart is a writer in North Bay. Inspire is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.