Xavier Revelo arrived to Canada in the midst of the Canada Day parade in 2012. What stuck out to him about his new home was its diversity.
"I remember driving into downtown Toronto, and there was a huge parade," he says. "And I remember all these people out on the street. And what struck me was all kinds of people, the different types of people - ethnicities and backgrounds – and being born in South America, and then spending about 10 years in the States, I was not used to that."
Xavier, now a postdoctoral fellow at the University Health Network, had grown up in Quito, Ecuador. He moved to the United States for school, then came to Canada to work at the nation's largest research hospital: UHN.
"What's being done here at UHN in terms of research is definitely pioneering. We're pushing the boundaries of knowledge. And I feel like it's only here at UHN where we have that opportunity," Xavier says.
Xavier is one of many UHN employees who have come to Canada from around the world. In this country, and at UHN, they have found a new home.
To celebrate Canada 150, we're telling audio stories in a podcast series to celebrate our diverse community at UHN. Every Thursday, we'll share a new story about one of our employees who came to Canada from around the world, or a story about an employee whose family has called Canada home for thousands of years. Tune in weekly for a new story on our podcast, Home.
Listen to Xavier's full story by subscribing to Home on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play and Podbean. You can also follow along on UHN's Podcast Hub.
