Janessa thinks the people are what makes Grebel so special. It’s true! In residence, she’s made  life-long friends and shared countless adventures with them.

Janessa chose Grebel as her residence at Waterloo because she knew it would be a safe environment to live in. Little did she know that her boundaries would be stretched, her worldview challenged, and her spirituality deepened.

Grebel’s homemade meals, fresh baking, and friendly, open community atmosphere were all reasons that Janessa’s brother and friends recommended Grebel as an amazing place to live. Janessa was also excited to move from her large high school to the small community where she could make friends on a much deeper level. She was not disappointed! Janessa loves that most students keep their doors open and that in turn encourages people to get to know each other better. She’s had the chance to make friends with students from first to fourth year, in all the faculties.

Another great thing about Grebel’s residence for Janessa, is the Living-Learning communities. As part of the PACS Living-Learning community (Music has one too!) Janessa had the support of a peer leader, as well as a group of students interested in the same program as her. This helped her navigate through the sometimes tricky process of course selection.

Janessa loves experiencing Grebel to its fullest! She has already sung in chapel choir, challenged herself in bible study, stretched herself to play intramural hockey (for the first time), and helped to plan social events and end-of-term banquets. She tapped into the musicality of many of the students, and was inspired to write her own music and experiment with others in jam sessions. During reading week, Janessa traveled on a service trip with 40 other residence to Louisiana and Missisippi. She spent that life-changing week learning new skills and making new friends.