For more than 80 years, Queen’s School of English (QSoE) has had a key role in the University’s global engagement and has welcomed students from all over the world to help them reach their goals, whether that be simply improving their English, or as part of their pathway to degree studies. International students are at the heart of who we are and what we do. Since finding our home in the Faculty of Education in 2014, QSoE has blossomed in the dynamic environment of Duncan MacArthur Hall, and has hosted B.Ed students for their Alt-Prac opportunities and partnered with several Faculties at Queen’s to provide international student support. The pandemic was extremely difficult for the international education sector and further exposed and deepened the inequity and wealth gap domestically and globally. QSoE emerged from this time with a renewed commitment to reciprocity. Beside our free 6-week online English course and upcoming free online English test, QSoE has extended its outreach efforts by establishing partnerships with ISKA (Immigrant Services Kingston and Area) and KEYS (Kingston Employment and Youth Services). These two local Kingston community organizations offer support to newcomers to Canada, and especially refugees who have moved to the area. ISKA and KEYS are doing tremendous work in the community, and to support their missions, QSoE offers full tuition awards to a candidate they each recommend three times per year for up to three semesters of study.
Recently, one such recommended student, Raed Khashba, more usually known as Roy, expressed a desire to share the story of how he came to Canada as a refugee. He started by giving a talk to the teaching and administrative staff of QSoE. Roy told us of how he was living in Syria when civil war broke out. By 2016, his family had become so concerned for their children’s safety that they told them to flee the country. Roy walked north to Türkiye, and from there travelled in an overcrowded dinghy to Greece where he was put in a refugee camp. For 6 years, Roy waited for confirmation that his application for asylum had been granted; however, this time was not spent idly. Roy learned English and Spanish from aid workers in the camps, and in doing so he was able to help other people in the camps as an interpreter and volunteer — roles which were rewarding, but compounded his own trauma at having fled his home.
Roy concluded his presentation by saying “This help will never end.” That is, that he wishes to spread his story and raise awareness and help for people who are in a similar situation to the one he was in and ‘pay forward’ the help he received. He wanted to do this so that Canadians could really understand the plight of refugees and be moved to provide more help and support to them. This article represents one of our efforts to help him share his incredible story, and what follows is a summarized Q&A with him.
When were you the most scared during your trip
When I was on the sea between Türkiye and Greece. I honestly didn’t know if I would be alive. We were 65 people in an inflatable dinghy with a small motor and midway in the journey, the boat ran out of gas. We had heard that Turkish boats would shoot at refugee boats crossing the sea, and so when the Turkish authorities came, we started to get scared. However, the Greek authorities arrived just a few minutes later and, since we had made it to Greek waters, towed us to a Greek island. I couldn’t help thinking about how cold the water was, and, even though I swim well, I knew that people around me would have drowned.
Were there times that you felt hopeful at the refugee camps?
I stayed in 2 camps in Greece. The first camp I stayed in was terrible. The second one was an improvement, but was still dangerous and I had my possessions stolen a few times. Despite this, I was still able to find some joy, too. I met a lot of people, and I was able to keep up with my diving practice from the cliffs of the island.
How did you come to Canada?
I met a Canadian lady who suggested that I could apply for asylum. Canada has a very good reputation in the camps and my friends told me that if I had the chance to go, then I should. I had to wait for 3.5 years for my application to be approved and processed, and during that time I worked on improving myself and helping others.
How did you help others?
On the island, I helped children learn to swim. My dad was a coach and lifeguard. I volunteered with teenagers and was able to encourage them to positivity and to keep active and engaged with themselves and their community. Once I learned enough English, I was able to interpret and translate for others. I would visit banks, hospitals, and police stations with people to translate and help them access local services.
We hope that sharing Roy’s story supports his dream that his help will never end and that you, as a reader, feel moved to act. We suggest reaching out to your local immigration service organizations to donate your time and/or resources. For more information about Roy or to learn more about this and other QSoE initiatives aimed at reciprocity, please reach out to us, qsoe@queensu.ca.
Steven McWilliams is a Scotsman currently studying for an MSc (TESOL) and has been teaching English since attaining his CELTA in 2007. From his early career teaching in private European language institutes to his current position as Educational Developer and Student Advisor with Queen’s School of English, he has always fostered a love for the English language. He is deeply grateful for the opportunity that teaching students from all over the world has given him to broaden his worldview and connect him with a multitude of different cultures.
Karen Burkett has been working within the field of English language education since she taught English in Japan in the late 1990s. She has served as Director of the School of English at Queen’s University since 2019. She has been pursuing her PhD in Educational Leadership since 2021. She champions those who identify as learners at their core, those who embrace their vulnerability and have the courage to try new things, learn new things, and see things in a new way. Creating a community of belonging amongst diverse individuals is what sustains her and drives her work as a leader.