International student program: different origins, shared opportunities

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

It was an interesting year for Golden Hills Schools Division’s International program. A total of 140 students from 19 countries attended five schools in Strathmore and area in 2019-20, but with the onset of the pandemic, most of these students left before the school year ended to travel home.

However, several international students remained in Strathmore. In late June, the Strathmore Times spoke with five of those remaining – all students at Strathmore High School – who were billeting with local families. The students all said that by coming to Strathmore from abroad to study, they gained knowledge and experiences that will last a lifetime.

Coming to Canada was trouble free, they said. 

“It was a very smooth ride,” said Lestyn Lobo, 18, a Grade 12 student who enrolled in the program with his brother, Leon, 16, who is in Grade 11. “The flight journey was amazing and there were no problems with immigration,” said Lestyn.

The wide-open spaces surrounding Strathmore was a surprise to Vincent Dallmer-Zerbe, 16, who is in Grade 10 and is from Hamburg, Germany. 

“In Germany, you just see cities and houses,” he said.

Anna Sobolieva, 16, who is in Grade 10 and is from Kiev, Ukraine, agreed. 

“The sky is extremely different here,” she said. “Every sunset is just amazing.”

The students were inspired by the will-to-do of the people in Strathmore. 

“They are so independent – they go forward with the opportunity to create anything,” said Leon. “In our community, you rely on a mechanic, a carpenter or a plumber, when something breaks. These people do it themselves, which gives me motivation – it makes me want to learn.”

The students also had a chance to explore other parts of Alberta during their time here.

Upneet Kaur, 17, who is in Grade 12 and is from Mumbai, India, enjoyed visiting Calgary to go shopping at its malls and to engage in sports there, including bowling and skiing. Banff was “really beautiful,” she said. “You can be there all day, walking around – Lake Louise was very beautiful.”

The students stayed at “homestays” with local residents who acted as host families. Dallmer-Zerbe and the Lobo brothers stayed with one family, while Kaur and Sobolieva stayed with another.

Their time at the homestay has been “amazing,” said Leon. 

“They really want to know about us. They allow us to cook our own food, so they can try it,” he said.

“You get to learn more about Canadians and how they live their life by living in a homestay,” added Lestyn.

The program also gave the students a chance to engage with nature. 

“We are city people,” said Lestyn. “But here, we did things like camping trips, and riding on a side-by-side.”

The students noticed how the wildlife here is different from that of their home countries. “There are a lot of squirrels everywhere,” said Lestyn.

But they were less impressed by the skunk living under the deck of their homestay, which sprayed their host’s dog. “They are just terrible creatures,” said Leon. 

During the pandemic, the student’s learning went online, and learning digital platforms was a new experience for Kaur.

“You do most of the work digitally,” she said. “Back home, even for the 30-page assignments we had to do, we did them all by hand. You get to learn more about technology, which you need to do in this modern world.”

The students all said they enjoyed their practical elective classes. “You get very different classes here – fabrication, woodworking, or you can go into computer stuff too,” said Dallmer-Zerbe. 

Leon embraced drama class. “I’ve done three plays during my time here – we don’t get the chance to do that back in the Middle East.”

Lestyn, meanwhile, learned many skills from the hands-on woodworking class. “I love the shop,” he said. “We built a shed last year, and built picnic tables, cabinets and chairs.”

They were also involved in extracurricular activities. For example, Dallmer-Zerbe played on Strathmore High School’s football team, while Leon played on the curling team, earning the most improved player award.

The students were involved in the school’s Net Zero Program, an initiative to install solar panels at the school. “It’s pretty amazing, because you get to do something for the community,” said Leon.

“It’s something that when you are coming to Canada, they really want you to do,” he added. “When you apply for scholarships or grant money, they want you to do something for the community – you can’t just stay and be an introvert and focus on academics.”

Leon made a presentation about the program to Strathmore town council, which “really encouraged” his public speaking ability, he said.

The international program’s greatest offering was the opportunity it gave to improve English skills, said Kaur. “One of the biggest differences when I go back will be my accent, because you speak English all the time, so you improve your speaking skills,” she said.

Dallmer-Zerbe agreed. “Living around English-speaking people really makes a big difference in your skills,” he said.

The program broadened Sobolieva’s perspectives. “The program makes you open-minded, and it makes you a different person because the mentality here is so different from another continent,” she said, adding she is “changing for good,” and is planning on continuing education in Canada towards a career as a medical examiner.

Kaur is looking to enroll at SAIT in Calgary in the business administration program, and is set towards a career as a chartered professional accountant. 

“I am planning, hopefully, to live the rest of my life in Canada,” she said.

Dallmer-Zerbe does not have concrete plans for his future and is “going to let life happen,” he said. He plans on completing high school in Germany and continue his education there.

Meanwhile, the Lobo brothers both want to become pilots, with Lestyn having accepted an offer to continue his education at the University of New Brunswick.

The Golden Hills International program started in 2004. Since 2007, it has hosted 2,603 students from 51 countries. Students are placed in one of 18 GHSD schools in eight communities, based on the academic and option courses they are looking for.

What happens for the 2020-21 school year is still up in the air, according to GHSD superintendent Bevan Daverne. In an interview in early May, Daverne said many international students will still want to come and study here.

“But we do not know what the international travel rules will be, and we don’t know what it will be like for students coming into Canada,” said Daverne.

Going forward, the school board will continue being “very careful” with risk associated with the virus, he noted.

“As we get closer to September, obviously we are going to follow whatever Alberta Health regulations are in place, to make sure it’s safe not only for students coming in, but of course, safe for our own students and staff and families in the area,” he said.