Mary Navas found so much more than an education when she came to Nova Scotia
Freedom. That’s the word Mary Navas uses to describe what she found upon moving to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Freedom from fear, freedom to work on those things she’s passionate about, and freedom to pursue the future she wants to create.
Navas grew up in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, the second largest city in the country. When she left to attend university in Halifax, it was like discovering a new world.
“I feel like I was surprised every day those first few weeks,” Navas says, “but [the biggest surprise] was the feeling of freedom. I had the ability to go grocery shopping or to get some gifts or go shopping by myself. That was mind-blowing. Back home, you can’t even go one street, or one block without being in your car and your car [windows are] tinted and no one should know who you are or what you’re doing.”
It can be a tough place to grow up and even a tough place to go to school. “I wasn’t born with confidence. I was bullied in middle school and elementary. Then I moved to Virginia Beach in the U.S. for a year. I was in a new place and I sort of built myself again and when I came back to my old school, I had a little more confidence.
“Bullying teaches you. Everything you go through in life builds the person you are today. It built my strength and charisma. Resilience is a big part of who I am now.”
That strength and resilience also created a desire in Navas to grow by not accepting the status quo and seeking out opportunities that challenged and stretched her. This led directly to her choice to come to Halifax as an international student.
“I looked at Texas and Florida. They have big Latin communities, but I knew it was going to be almost the same routine for me. I wanted something that was going to change me, motivate me.”
That doesn’t mean the choice came without reservations or second thoughts. Navas says her parents were supportive, but questioned if she knew what she was doing, if she was sure about her choice.
More questions popped up after she arrived at Saint Mary’s University (SMU) in Halifax. “When I walked in, I was like, ‘Where are the international students? Where are my people at? Did I make the right decision?’”
The doubts didn’t last. She quickly made new friends and found exactly the challenges she had hoped to find. By the time she graduated from SMU with her Bachelor of Commerce, Navas had served as president of the SMU Students’ Association and discovered where she wanted her career to begin.
“I knew I wanted to work at National [Public Relations] the day I set foot inside their office,” Navas says. That first visit was during an event hosted by National PR and she was still a student. She even told one of the vice presidents they would be working together someday. Her prediction came true and she started as an associate at National after graduating.
Navas also does a lot of volunteering when she isn’t working. She is involved with both Habitat for Humanity and Students Nova Scotia, but perhaps her biggest involvement is with the YMCA of Greater Halifax and Dartmouth. She is the first ever chair of the YMCA’s youth committee and is working to create more youth spaces within the organization.
“It has been a year and a half since I joined the board of the YMCA of Greater Halifax and Dartmouth and it has been an amazing journey. Mental health is a big topic for that committee. The YMCA goes way beyond just a gym. The gap we saw was mental health. There aren’t many mental health services for youth. Mental health [can be about] safe spaces. So, it’s creating those safe spaces across the YMCA.”
She also continues to work with international students even though her time with the SMU Students’ Association is over. “There are different discrepancies for international students when you come to a new country. They don’t know anyone, they’re coming to a new school. They have different barriers.
“I vouch for Nova Scotia always. This is a place to study, for sure. We have so many universities, so many opportunities. Halifax is growing so much.”
She says Nova Scotia has proven it’s good at making international students feel welcome, but where more work is needed is what comes after school is finished.
“When they start not feeling welcome is when they don’t see any opportunities for them here in the future, or they have closing doors,” Navas says. However, she sees that changing as Halifax grows. “Halifax is so diverse, I’m sure everyone is going to find a place where they feel like home.
“Atlantic Canada is a hidden gem, for sure. I don’t think a lot of people across the world know about Atlantic Canada. If you’re trying to find a new career, a new home, or change wherever you are around the world, this is the place. It’s so welcoming. It meets you where you are. This is the place to be. Don’t be scared that it’s Canada. It’s going to be fine.”
Navas is considering creating some of those opportunities herself. Her future plans include starting a charity and maybe even her own business.
“I always wanted to start a charity that will help youth here in Nova Scotia, but also youth in Honduras. I’m trying to figure out what that’s going to look like, but hopefully that’s coming up in the future.
“A Honduran coffee shop… was also always a dream of mine.”
