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More than 3,000 kilometres away from home, Diego Antunez has dove headfirst into life as a �IJ���APP student.

Antunez is majoring in media production and minoring in business, about to enter his fourth and final year. He grew up in Honduras, where he attended a Christian high school. This is where he first heard about �IJ���APP through his academic advisor. His advisor had come to �IJ���APP for a conference and spoke positively about the staff and campus.

“After some research, my parents and I loved the idea of being part of a university that was going to help me achieve academic goals as well as build my character and faith simultaneously,” he says.

Antunez feels grateful for the chance to come to �IJ���APP and knows that, without his parents and Canadian family friends Laurence and Judy Siegel, “none of this would have been possible.”

He says that his faith has grown considerably as he has given more and more of his life to Christ. While at �IJ���APP, Antunez has learned what it looks like to leave his life in God’s hands.

“I’ve learned to trust in him and in his timing and place all of my burdens on him to fully follow him wherever he leads.”

I’ve learned to trust in him and in his timing and place all of my burdens on him to fully follow him wherever he leads.

Through his major, he has studied topics that have helped him develop as a storyteller, such as screenwriting, film analysis, video editing and audio engineering. Last year, he completed an internship at Hamilton District Christian High (HDCH), taking theories learned in the classroom and applying them in a real-world setting. He feels grateful for the opportunity he had to be part of the tight-knit community while capturing and sharing the mission of the school.

“During my time at HDCH, I was able to support and strengthen HDCH’s multimedia sector, including photos and videos, to show not only HDCH’s strengths and academic standards for excellence but also its essence, its people and, most importantly, its students.” 

When Antunez reached out and inquired about an internship, his soon-to-be supervisor Sandra Baker, director of advancement and admissions at HDCH, saw it as an answer to prayer.

“HDCH needed three impactful videos, and we were on a tight schedule!” Baker says. “Diego was keenly interested in God’s work at HDCH from the start. His natural curiosity meant he engaged deeply with students, staff and volunteers. His videos tell the HDCH story with warmth and vitality. He captures people and places beautifully. Diego’s photos and videos are being used on all our communications channels, including our new website and social media, with continuing positive responses.”

Antunez is a highly involved student and says that it is hard to count how many things he has taken part in. He has worked part-time roles in food services, admissions and residence life. Antunez has also been involved with the International Students Club where he has “offer[ed] insights into creating a safe and welcoming space to all international students.” In his second year, he was on the , where he had the chance to compete at a high level in a sport he has long been passionate about. Through these efforts, he has sought to repay a community that has blessed him greatly.

What I can say is that �IJ���APP has and will always have a very special place in my heart, as it gave me exactly what I was missing.

“Aside from working with incredible people, building a powerful network of support and nurturing personal skills, I’ve been able to do what I wanted to do from the first day I got to campus when Ms. Koekkoek dropped me off after a long bittersweet flight from my home country, Honduras,” says Antunez. “I’ve been able to give back to �IJ���APP at least a fraction of everything this experience has given me while showing my gratitude to be in such a privileged position to study in this excellent institution … Needless to say, aside from joy and unforgettable memories, this journey has pushed me into being who I am today, allowing me to grow academically, spiritually and personally.”

Wonderful and challenging is how Antunez describes his �IJ���APP journey. His experience has been extremely memorable, thanks to peers, staff and professors. Though he says it is hard to narrow down a singular favourite memory, he offers this reflection: “What I can say is that �IJ���APP has and will always have a very special place in my heart, as it gave me exactly what I was missing.”