When Samarth “Sam” Sarin ’21 (Lady Eaton College) left rural India to study abroad in Canada, he found a world of new opportunities awaiting at Trent. What he also found was a community that would transform everything he thought he knew about himself and his potential.  

It was a friend that first suggested Sam look into Trent, and after further exploration, Sam found three reasons to choose the riverside campus in Peterborough: a compelling scholarship, the natural beauty of campus, and the personal support he received throughout the application process. 

“The Trent International team went above and beyond. I felt really taken care of and confident that I was going to be looked after once I arrived,” said Sam, a recent Computer Science graduate. “That really made a difference. I didn’t feel that personal touch from anywhere else.” 

Community Connections

Once at Trent, Sam connected with Student Affairs and joined Out on Campus, a confidential peer-run group that facilitates conversations, events, and advocacy for 2SLGBTQQIA+ students. 

“I remember even as a queer kid coming from India, I did not know about my sexuality. I hadn't explored my gender that much. I really didn’t know that was even an option,” he recalls. “Joining Out on Campus was one of the most monumental changes of my life. It was a very safe space where I felt like ‘Ok, I do belong here’.” 

Finding that peer community – and meeting staff who openly embraced their own identities – reshaped Sam’s confidence and illuminated new paths of possibility, both for himself and in his career. 

"All the different people that I met who are professional staff at Trent really paved a new way of thinking for me, and they really set in stone how I look at myself now,” Sam said. “Seeing queer people in managerial roles who were accomplishing so much was a first for me. I never realized that type of future was possible for me.”  

Self-Discovery to Career Discovery

With a stronger sense of self and purpose, Sam set new personal and professional goals. After interview coaching from Trent’s Careerspace and an internship with the City of Peterborough, he secured a full-time data and information management position with Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources.   

“I like to think of all of this like a stairway. I think I did one thing correctly, that's why I got the second thing. The butterfly effect is real,” said Sam.  

Passing the Baton

Before graduating from Trent, Sam co-founded the TrentU Pride Club, inspired by the leaders who had lifted him up and determined to create that same sense of support and celebration for other students. 

“All of these people were so great in helping me throughout my student experience. I tried to keep that energy and pass the baton forward to other students,” said Sam. “I'd never thought that I was going to live that far to look at that side of myself. They really gave birth to the dreams I have, and I can’t thank them enough.” 

Learn more about 2SLGBTQQIA+ supports and about the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, which includes a paid co-op stream.