There are numerous challenges international students face when they study abroad; from adapting to the local culture and integrating into a new school, to adjusting to a new home environment and using English as a primary means of communication. When you think that most of our international students face these milestones at 14 and 15 years of age, it’s amazing that they cope so well - and all while being apart from their own family. Add to this the expectation of succeeding academically in a second (or third) language and the pressure of wanting to fit in with their peers…. it’s an enormous undertaking. While the parameters of these experiences are unique to each individual, there’s no doubt that we have a stellar group of resilient young people in our midst. One teen who has successfully made the transition is Grade 11 student Jessica Cai. Passionate in embracing opportunity and determined in her pursuit of personal goals, Jessica’s experience is one example of the extraordinary accomplishments that are found throughout our halls. Two years ago this young luminary
FROM SHANGHAI TO KELOWNA
JESSICA CAI SHARES HER JOURNEY PAGE 16
made the 9,227 km trek from Shanghai, population 24 million, to Kelowna at the tender young age of 14. Inspired by a west-coast BC summer camp when she was 10 years old, Jessica was fascinated by ‘this whole new world’ and had her heart set on one day returning for a Canadian high school education. In Grade 8 and with her parents’ support, Jessica and her father spent a month researching schools in Canada, considering such factors as academic excellence, accommodation options, environmental and
geographical
considerations, population density and English immersion opportunity. Having
