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Laurier Arts students Timna Habta and Mialy Rakotoharilala credit friendship, community for shaping university experience
June 9, 2026
Print | PDFFrom nervous first-year students to international travel partners, Timna Habta and Mialy Rakotoharilala formed a friendship and found a sense of belonging at Wilfrid Laurier University that carried them through their undergraduate degree studies.
Now, four years after meeting, they will cross Laurier’s convocation stage on June 18 as graduates of the Faculty of Arts, both with double majors in Communications Studies and Cultural Studies, and as best friends, connected by shared identity, experiences and personal growth.
Life at Laurier begins
Both Habta and Rakotoharilala recall feeling nervous about starting university. Although each had received a prestigious Laurier Scholars Award scholarship, neither knew many peers from high school moving to Waterloo for school. Despite living in residence, getting involved with student clubs and meeting new people, Habta and Rakotoharilala were still searching for a community to click with during their early days at Laurier’s Waterloo campus.
“I think for someone looking in, they wouldn’t have known that I was struggling,” says Habta. “I knew people in my residence building and was getting involved, but I didn’t feel like I had found my place or people yet. That changed when I got to know Mialy.”
Rakotoharilala had similar experiences to Habta’s while adjusting to student life. She went home to visit her family in Woodbridge, Ont., most weekends during the fall semester and kept her expectations about the transition to university life realistic.
Habta and Rakotoharilala in Copenhagen, Denmark, March 2025.
The future friends’ first in-person connection came during an introductory Communications Studies course in January 2023. Habta, running late for class, recalled entering the lecture hall and looking for somewhere to sit.
“There were lots of seats available, but I saw a girl with braids, and being Black, I figured I’d sit next to her,” says Habta. “That girl was Mialy.”
The students realised they were part of the same scholarship program and lived in Waterloo College Hall. The friendship continued to grow through the remainder of the winter term.
Finding their place
During their second year at Laurier, Habta and Rakotoharilala had several classes together and continued to settle into student life.
In addition to their classes and extracurriculars, Habta and Rakotoharilala secured part-time employment on campus as student communications and outreach assistants in the Faculty of Arts. Working alongside Crystal Shadwell, manager of student support and engagement initiatives, Habta and Rakotoharilala supported communication and outreach initiatives and shared their Laurier experiences with prospective students at campus open house events and the Ontario Universities’ Fair.
“Timna and Mialy became integral members of the Faculty of Arts team, and I could count on them for anything,” says Shadwell. “They took pride in their work and represented Laurier Arts with joy and authenticity. Timna and Mialy embody the very best of what it means to be Laurier Golden Hawks.”
Rakotoharilala, Habta and Shadwell at Laurier Homecoming 2024.
Habta and Rakotoharilala had the opportunity to participate in an international exchange during their third year at one of 70 universities Laurier has academic exchange agreements with across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the United States. Studying abroad provides students with opportunities to connect degree studies with real-world applications, experience new cultures and perspectives, and broaden their career pathways.
Habta and Rakotoharilala each ranked their top four exchange institutions and submitted their applications during the fall 2023 term. In February 2024, they learned they would both be heading to the University of Limerick in Ireland the following winter.
Although excited to continue their student experience together on exchange, Habta and Rakotoharilala had concerns about travelling abroad as young Black women.
Noticing few other Black or racialized students attending the pre-departure information sessions organized by Laurier International, Habta and Rakotoharilala wondered if concerns about safety and inclusion prevented others from pursuing international exchanges. With that in mind, they decided to document their exchange experience through a series of vlogs for other Black and racialized Laurier students considering an exchange.
Habta and Shadwell representing Laurier Arts at the 2024 Ontario Universities Fair in Toronto.
“I think hearing from someone who looks like you can create a sense of trust and reassurance,” says Rakotoharilala. “If our experiences as racialized exchange students could support others stepping out of their comfort zone to go abroad, then why not share that?”
Adventures abroad await
Habta and Rakotoharilala arrived at the University of Limerick in late January 2025 with excitement and shared suitcases in hand. There, they learned they would be roommates in a residence village filled with other exchange students, many from Ontario universities, including McMaster, Queen’s and York.
After making fast friends with their Canadian counterparts, Habta and Rakotoharilala also connected with Black and racialized students at the University of Limerick.
“The Black community we found at Limerick during our exchange developed naturally,” says Habta. “We didn’t go looking for it. When you’re on exchange, you quickly realize that so many students are from somewhere else, and that’s what people are most curious about — where you’re from.”
Whether on campus or when travelling, sharing their Canadian identities became a source of pride and social connection for Habta and Rakotoharilala.
Habta and Rakotoharilala in Dingle, Ireland, February 2025.
“People lit up when they found out we were Canadian,” says Rakotoharilala. “And everyone has a cousin in Toronto or Vancouver and knows who Drake is.”
The Laurier friends spent their first six weeks exploring Limerick and nearby communities before traveling throughout the U.K. and Europe. They researched Black travellers’ experiences online to better understand how their racial identities might shape their travel experiences in different countries.
“We had positive experiences in many places, but in Portugal, Black community and culture were everywhere, and as Black women, we just blended in,” says Habta.
Life learnings and looking forward
Four months, eight countries and countless memories later, Habta and Rakotoharilala returned to Laurier’s Waterloo campus with new perspectives on school, life and themselves.
“The last 20 years of my life, my identity has been wrapped up in being a student, getting good grades, being involved and being busy,” says Habta. “Going on exchange was an opportunity to slow down, see and do things I have never done and discover who I am outside of being a student. I discovered a lot about myself during our weekend travels to different countries and I’m grateful for that.”
Living and learning abroad also positively impacted Rakotoharilala’s outlook, challenging her to make the most of the moment.
“You’re never really ready for anything,” says Rakotoharilala. “Sometimes you just have to jump in, do the thing and go with the flow.”
Going with the flow is a mindset Habta and Rakotoharilala will take into the next chapter of their lives. After convocation, Habta will assume the role of vice-president of government and stakeholder relations with the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union, marking her entry into a career in education and student advocacy. Rakotoharilala is exploring graduate programs in film production to develop her skills in filmmaking and screenwriting, which she is passionate about. The Vancouver Film School tops her list of grad schools.
As their time as Laurier students concludes, Habta and Rakotoharilala will leave with more than good grades and future aspirations — they leave with a friendship that served as the foundation of their university experience and contributed to personal growth.
“I can honestly say that finding a friend like Mialy made my university experience,” says Habta. “Finding your people and your community can take time, but it’s worth the wait.”