THE FISH (2026)

The fish is an excellent way to illustrate the connection between two worlds in my topic about the foreign student. A living being that relies entirely on its aquatic environment for survival. If removed from this context, it must face an imbalance. A comparison can be made with a student who leaves their home country: they abandon their familiar environment (culture, language, landmarks) to find themselves in a new setting requiring adaptation. In my work, the fish can represent the student themselves. Initially, they are in their "original environment" (the Democratic Republic of the Congo), a place where everything is familiar. Then, following their move to Canada, they find themselves immersed in "different waters," distinct and sometimes challenging, where they must learn to navigate differently. The fish also illustrates that, like a living organism, the student cannot survive without interaction with their environment. They must not only adjust but also grasp this new environment to progress. Over time, they acquire the ability to move within this environment while retaining the memory of their native surroundings. Therefore, the fish symbolizes both vulnerability to change and the capacity for adaptation. This highlights the fact that the student navigates between two worlds, and their flourishing depends on their ability to establish a balance between the two.