“Trent has always been very much a part of our lives,” she says. “It was always somewhere I considered going after high school.”   

Ms. Home’s destined path to Trent has been clear since the day she was born. Not only does she have an existing family legacy at the University, she also has the distinction of being a Passport to Trent Baby – one of nine children born in Peterborough on October 17, 1989, Trent’s 25th anniversary. On that day Ms. Home was presented with a very special gift – free tuition at Trent University, when she was ready to apply. 

By the time Ms. Home was sending out applications for universities, she had her pick of locations, graduating from her high school in Kingston with a 96 per cent average. But it was at Trent where she knew she would find her home.

“She was accepted at other schools, with scholarship opportunities,” her mother, Heather Home explains. “But I think Trent’s tutorial system and small class sizes are well suited to Emily. Trent allows students to get more out of an undergraduate degree than some other, larger institutions do.”

Ms. Home echoes her mother’s statements when she says, “Trent has a great vibe; it appealed to me because it’s a small, liberal and tolerant school. I also noticed other schools weren’t offering what Trent does – Indigenous Studies and Canadian Studies are programs you can’t find in many other schools.” 

For this Canadian Studies and Politics major, these unique course offerings were paramount in her decision on where to study. And since her arrival on campus in September, she has been pleased with her decision to return to her former hometown of Peterborough and become a student at Trent. The offer of free tuition was just a happy bonus.

“Feeling financially sound is important to me, but I would have come to Trent anyway.  The scholarship just made Trent more attractive to me. I’ve always been aware that I had this offer waiting for me at Trent, and I’ve always known I had to be accepted first and would then need to finance my cost of living. I worked hard throughout high school get here,” she recalls.

For Ms. Home’s parents, the Passport to Trent represents a “great support” but they also agree that it wasn’t the only factor that attracted their daughter to the University. “Financially, not having to pay for tuition has been a bonus, but I think the Passport has also worked as an academic motivator,” explains Heather Home. “From a young age, Emily has always known the opportunity to pursue a university degree was available to her in a more tangible way than it may be for some. I think that knowledge alone has helped support her academic pursuits.”

Ms. Home is the first to say she’s lucky for the opportunities afforded her, “people don’t believe me when I explain my situation to them. I don’t really understand it either but it’s very, very lucky for me.” In light of this opportunity, she is also eager to give back to Trent and says “Trent’s generosity and its welcoming community make it easy to reach out and become involved. I know I’m more involved at Trent than I would be if I were elsewhere.”

In her first year at Trent, Ms. Home joined the novice rowing crew, became a volunteer note taker through the Disability Services Office and took on the role of first year political studies representative. She also belongs to one of Trent’s Living and Learning Communities – the Trent Global Living Community in her residence at Champlain College.

“I love being part of Champlain’s Global Living Community”, Emily says.  “I’m exposed to new and different view points. I’m always considering things from a different angle. Overall, Trent definitely provides me with a sense of community and a place to learn how to think. It’s challenging me to consider the world in ways I never did before.”