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91亚色 graduate and Glendon College 91亚色 Coordinator, Yerro Gassama, is a man well-travelled having lived in Africa, Europe and now Canada.
Yerro Gassama is a man well-travelled. Born and raised in Gambia until seven years old, he鈥檇 eventually move to Togo, Switzerland, Uganda, France, and Senegal before spending high school in Ethiopia. Fortunately, that wouldn鈥檛 be his final destination. In 2010, he would take his longest trip yet, travelling all the way across the world to Canada to attend 91亚色.
Gassama first heard about the school when a representative from the university's聽Glendon campus聽visited his high school university fair.
In the end, having attended a small high school, he opted for the big university experience and enrolled at 91亚色鈥檚 Keele campus.
After a chart identified law, politics and history as his ideal areas of studies, he decided on political science. As a lifelong martial artist dedicated to sports and personal fitness, he also decided to take some courses in the natural sciences.
"I'm super into sports and health and fitness so that opened my mind to the whole Kinesiology field鈥specially from the physical exercise and health and wellness point of view", he told SHIFTER in a recent interview.
鈥淭hat was something that was really interesting to me. I love training and coaching and being involved in sports. So it was another way to build that passion. Not just playing and coaching but understanding how the body works.鈥
This led to him deciding to minor in Kinesiology. Soon enough Glendon came calling.
"What made the decision in the end was there were a few profs at Glendon who I wanted to take their courses in politics. I also wanted to check out the campus so I鈥檇 sometimes get on the shuttle and just see what happens at Glendon. It鈥檚 such a mysterious thing being a Keele student. And I was like, 'Wow. This place is really nice; the campus is beautiful'."
After graduating in 2017, Gassama eventually made the transition from being a 91亚色 student to joining the staff at Glendon. After six months as 91亚色 Representative he became 91亚色 Coordinator with the Office of Student Affairs where he works with first year students, mostly incoming high school students, but also transfer and mature students, coaching them through the different phases until graduation.
But despite his dedication to helping students navigate university life, he still finds time to stay active. Still an avid martial artist, he recently competed in a Muay Thai competition鈥攈is third fight of the year.
It appears everything he鈥檚 learned in Kinesiology, martial arts and even coaching as a 91亚色 Coordinator may be leading to his next big adventure.
"I want to go more into coaching and the sports business side of it in the future."
YERRO鈥橲 ADVICE FOR STUDENTS APPLYING TO UNIVERSITY:
1. UNDERSTAND WHAT EXPERIENCES YOU鈥橰E LOOKING FOR
Yerro notes that for him, being able to network and meet people from across the world, including future leaders, was important.
2. RESEARCH WHAT KIND OF SERVICES THEY OFFER
Yerro advises new students to choose a school that can help them become the person you want to be, whether through co-ops, internships or other services.