Located in the most eastern tip of Canada, St. John’s is known to be the oldest city in North America. Due to its small size and lack of diversity, a lot of international students have overlooked this beautiful city for places like Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Quebec City. However, the cost of living in larger cities and tuition becoming expensive throughout Canada, Newfoundland is becoming a hotspot for international students.Â
Memorial University and the College of North Atlantic are to thank for the influx of international students; who bring talent, innovation, and diversity. These are some of the coolest things they’ve done. The list is not in any chronological order.
Kundai Kakomo (Skynation Media & Photography)
Founded by Kundai Kakomo, Skyynation Media is a force to be reckoned with. The artistry and the level of talent that Kundai displays with his skills is truly phenomenal. His company, Skynnation Media, exhibits one of the best Photography services in the province. Backed up by an impressive team, Kundai has all the gear to produce Hollywood-level content. Check out some of their work here.
Bruce M8 (Produced for Tory Lanez)
Bruce M8 might just be the hottest rapper in Newfoundland. From Zimbabwe, Bruce studied Computer Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He always showed an interest in music which he has pursued professionally. I know him personally from our college dorm days and he has risen to tremendous heights. His albums are very skillfully produced and some of his beats were even used by Tory Lanez. That is mind-boggling. I still can’t wrap my head around that one. Please check out some of his music. (Note: Bruce is also a Computer Scientist)
Rutendo Precious Gwande (Rue's Beauty Store)
Graduated with a BBA in Business, Rutendo works with one of the biggest banks in Canada. Nevertheless, Rutendo has showcased what it means to be an entrepreneur. She is the founder of Rue’s Beauty Store, which specializes in selling all kinds of beauty products. Her business is growing fast, and she has already launched a website that processes all transactions. She truly is an inspiration to international students and in the process, empowers women. Click the link and check out her store.
Sunday and Christiana Emmanual (Afro Kitchen NL)
Sunday is a Mechanical Engineer student and Christiana has a master’s degree in international business from the University of Lincoln in England. They truly are a power-couple. After moving to Newfoundland, the pair decided to open Afro Kitchen NL, which sells some of the best African dishes in Newfoundland. Their business is located at 282 Torbay Rd.
Austin Chambers (Elevate Athletics)
Owned by former university varsity athlete, Elevate Athletics sells one of the hottest merch in town. Check-out their website here! (I don’t know much about Austin and I can’t assume he’s an international student. Regardless, his business is thriving and it deserves to be on the list)
I barely scratched the surface of what international students have accomplished. We have models, engineers, software developers, YouTubers, rappers, athletes, and many more. If I included them all, your computer would glitch and the whole internet would collapse. So I’m definitely doing you a favor. But all jokes aside, St. John’s is growing so fast and I like the vibe. If you have any business that you want featured, feel free to email me.Â
