A woman who came to Nova Scotia to build a new life after fleeing a war zone is sharing her story in hopes of easing the anxiety of Syrian refugees.

The outpouring of warmth shown by Maritimers to the Syrian refugees has been remarkable, however it is hard for many to truly understand what they are going through.

Tringa Rexhepi does. The young singer was once a refugee herself.

“Before we know it, we're in a military camp, and trying to figure out how to stay safe, and there's bombs and this and that,” says Rexhepi.

In 1999, eight-year-old Rexhepi and her family fled war-torn Kosovo for refuge in Canada. They landed in Nova Scotia, a foreign land with a strange language.

“I say we were relieved, scared,” says Rexhepi. “It was a mix of a lot of different emotions, but I think to now finally feel a sense of everything is going to be ok, we don't have to worry about our safety anymore.”

Paired with a sponsorship program, Rexhepi learned English and gained confidence through the arts, like singing and theatre.

“Ironically enough, they put me in Shakespeare classes, which is the hardest English you can try to learn, but it was amazing,” recalls Rexhepi. “Not only was I able to gain a lot of confidence and make friends, it essentially dictated what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.”

Rexhepi found her voice in more ways than one - her talent earned her a spot singing on Miss Globe 2015 and as a back-up singer for Josh Groban in Toronto, where she now lives.

She's now singing, writing and releasing her own songs on iTunes and inspiring her little nieces and the rest of her family.

“All the fears I had coming to Canada, it took a while to work through those, but now, I'm this three dimensional person and I have, my roots are just so strong in this country and in Kosovo.”

It's those roots that Rexhepi doesn't want the incoming Syrian refugees to forget.

“I hope the refugees coming here can remember that it's so possible to have two homes, that you don't have to lose your own traditions and your own cultures to adapt to a new one,” says Rexhepi. “I know they're feeling so scared and I know they're feeling overwhelmed, but I know that they have come to one of the best countries in the world.”

A place where Rexhepi says anything is possible.

“There is nothing I can't do here, nobody is stopping me.”

With files from CTV Atlantic's Amanda Debison