What life is like for a 14-year-old from Syria on her first day of high school in Canada

Excitement and a touch of nervousness go through Mazenah Mouhrat's mind as she prepared for a very important milestone: her first day of high school in Canada.

"Think my first day at this high school, I'm not going to sleep," she said ahead of last Tuesday's start to the school year.

"I feel excited to meet new people, it's like a new life."

Mouhrat, originally from Homs, Syria, immigrated from Egypt in October of 2023, and has now started high school at Westdale Secondary School in Hamilton.

She said she's most excited about making new friends, which she does everywhere she goes.

"I love to meet new people," she said. Here's how she plans to do it.

"Maybe I'm just going to go to them and ask them 'what's your name?' 'Do you want to be friends with me?' or 'do you want to eat lunch with me?'"

• WATCH — Back to school with 4 kids across Canada
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WATCH | In her own words, Mazenah Mouhrat's first day of school: 

What life is like for a 14-year-old from Syria on her first day of high school in Canada

3 months ago

Duration 2:26

Mazenah Nazar was born in Syria, then moved to Egypt at 3-years-old with her family, and now is starting over once again in high school at Westdale Secondary in Hamilton.

A swift transition from Egypt to Canada

The transition from Egypt to Canada happened quickly. Only 15 days passed between finding out about the move and stepping foot on Canadian soil.

"It was very hard," Mouhrat recalls. "You live in a country for ten years, you make a lot of friends, you love them, and then you leave them."

Despite the difficulty of leaving behind the life she knew, she was excited about starting over in Canada, a country she had dreamed of living in.

Mouhrat's family left Syria when she was only three-years-old, and had been living in Egypt ever since. 

After arriving in Canada on Oct. 10, 2023 and with the help of Wesley, a local non-profit that supports newcomers and other vulnerable communities, they stayed in a hotel during the first 20 days in the country before starting in ESL school for a few months.

"Wesley works closely with refugees to help them to find housing, school, English classes, jobs, and navigate the immigration process." Celeste Weston, Chief Development & Communications Officer at Wesley, says. "We work closely with local landlords to ensure most refugees are permanently housed within 28 days of their arrival."

Weston says "This is such a kind and welcoming family. The girls play Uno, watch Sponge Bob, enjoy pizza, and go to the park. One is even learning to rollerblade. The dad, Mohamed is a trained welder." 

Adjusting to a new education system and learning a new language are amongst the most common obstacles children Mouhrat's age face when they first arrive in Canada, according to the senior manager of newcomer programs at the YWCA in Hamilton, Tehreem Zafar.

Zafar says parents who were once very involved in their children studies often times feel "abandoned by the school system" once they get to Canada and face language barriers and an unfamiliar system.

"They feel like there is no way to connect, and then children are lost because there is no communication, and then children are trying to navigate on their own," she told CBC Hamilton.

The YWCA has programs for kids and families that offer counselling, recreation, workshops, and more, to help with the transition into their new lives.

Based on her own experience as an immigrant from Pakistan, Zafar said that anyone can make a difference for families like Mouhrat's.

She recalled a time when she first moved to Hamilton after being in Canada for a few years and a new neighbour stopped by to say hi.

One thing led to another, and thanks to this short interaction with her curious neighbour, she found out about Individual Education Plans for children with special education needs.

"She was the one who just stopped by, took five minutes to say hi, and she gave me something that I never thought of because we came from a different school system," Zafar said.

A new school without her life-long friend

The start of the new school year will also be a big change for Mouhrat's little sister, Leen.

Last year — and for most of their lives — the sisters attended the same school, spending breaks and lunchtime together, and being each other's only friend in Canada. This year they will be attending different schools for the first time. 

"I'm so scared," Leen said. 

She said she enjoys talking, watching videos, eating pizza and playing UNO with Mouhrat, and although they'll still live under the same roof, things won't be the same.

"We've been together our whole lives," Mouhrat said. Seeing each other only at home will be a big adjustment.

There's a two-year age gap between them, so Mouhrat worries that by the time Leen makes it to high school, she'll soon have to go to college.

"I feel sad now that [she's] going to high school," Leen said, adding how much she loves her sister and wishing she'd stay with her.

Mouhrat also worries about Leen walking to school alone, As the oldest of four — Leen, 12, Zeina, 9, and Ayla, 4 months — she feels a sense of responsibility for her little sisters' safety.

Adapting to a new language

Mouhrat said her English was "very bad" when she first arrived. 

However, with a mix of school, living life in Hamilton, and hours of hard work she has come a long way.

"I was reading all the time," she said. "I love reading too much." 

She's now the designated translator for her family of six.

Mouhrat's love for learning is clear, especially when it comes to her favourite subjects, math and science.

She finds math classes in Canada much easier than Egypt, where she would spend up to six hours a day on homework.

"When my teacher gives us a new subject, my class [said] 'it's hard,' I was like, 'it's easy. I've [had it] harder than you guys,'" she said.

Looking toward the future, Mouhrat expressed her desire to go to university, hoping to make her family proud.

"I'd love to be a doctor," she said. "I want to have a beautiful life, a happy life."