Ziyana Nasser: Canada

Ziyana Nasser is moving up in the world on her postsecondary path—literally. The Canadian-American dual citizen is headed north to study at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. American-born, Nasser inherited Canadian citizenship from her parents and has a unique history with the city she’ll be studying in. “I’ve never lived in Canada myself, but I visit once or twice a year because I have a lot of family there, so I’m pretty familiar,” she said.

Despite committing to UBC, Nasser did not go into the college application process seeking out a foreign experience. “I applied to more U.S. schools and two schools from Canada,” she said. “My parents definitely thought further hopes to play soccer and explore the city. “I think it’s mainly to explore and just take advantage of it,” Santos said. “Because when I get into later years in college, I want to focus on building my career.”

As Santos embarks on this unconventional college journey, his enthusiasm shines through, inspiring others to consider similar opportunities. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and I’m starting my first four months living away from my parents in Europe,” Santos said. “Although it may seem daunting, it’s an opportunity to embrace the unconventional and experience personal growth.”

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Nasser’s parents are both Vancouverites who met each other while attending UBC. Most Canadian public universities, including UBC, do not offer legacy admissions, but her parents’ experience still factored into Nasser’s decision to apply. “My mom said she first saw my dad in the library,” she said. “Such a romance.”

Beyond her family’s relationship with the school, Nasser appreciates the variety of perspectives and resources that she’ll be able to find at UBC. “It’s a very diverse school— there are a lot of people from different places,” she said. “There are also a lot of resources that come with going to a big research university.”

Post-secondary students often turn to their neighbor in the north for reasons ranging from proximity to family to a more suitable education pathway. “I don’t know if anyone else has committed from Gunn, but I know that it’s definitely becoming a bigger option to look to Canada for school because it’s so competitive here,” Nasser said.

—Written by Michael Zhang