Five years after it was established, the international student program in School District 70 (Pacific Rim) is still going strong.
The Pacific Rim International Student Program was formed in 2020 and brings high school-aged students from countries around the globe to Port Alberni in order to live with homestay families and have an authentic, Canadian high school experience.
Now in its fifth year, the program has seen "steady, careful and slow" growth, says program director Marc Fryer. Alberni District Secondary School (ADSS) currently has 32 international students, most of whom are visiting from western Europe.
Fryer says the current political climate in the United States has been a factor when it comes to the program's growth. Students who may have originally been looking at international exchanges in the U.S. have now changed their minds.
"Canada is a really strong second option to the U.S.," said Fryer.
"Canada's reputation for education is excellent worldwide," added Deb Hallworth, homestay manager for the program.
Mia Falter, Kiana Brusch and Anna Schneider are three international students from Germany, currently studying in Port Alberni. Although they didn't know each other before arriving at ADSS, as they came from different places in Germany, Hallworth says they have become "inseparable" in the last few months.
All three students said they came to Port Alberni in order to try new experiences.
"Also to improve our English," added Falter.
Falter admitted that moving to a new country for school was "kind of scary" at first.
"It's hard to say goodbye to your life in Germany, not knowing anyone at your new school, not knowing how the school works," she said.
"And to live with people you don't know," added Schneider.
But after a few months, the three students found themselves adjusting to the country and a new way of life.
"We started to feel more comfortable and we grew close with our host families," said Brusch. "Now we can talk about anything with them."
"It's just normal," Schneider added. "It feels like you're just living your life here."
The program is always looking for more homestay families to host the exchange students. Homestay families are always based on how they fit with the prospective students, said Hallworth. The program offers support for homestay families, including a monthly stipend.
Carrie and Jeff Nahorney have been homestay parents for several years now. They first hosted an international student more than a decade ago, when an international cohort of elementary school students from South Korea came to visit Port Alberni.
"It was a really positive experience for us, because our children were around the same age," explained Carrie.
In 2021, after the Pacific Rim International Student Program was founded, the Nahorneys decided to give it another try. They were paired with their first student, a boy named Robert from Germany. Since then, they've hosted four students in total.
"All our students have been from Germany so far," Carrie laughed. "So we've been learning quite a bit about the different regions in Germany."
Jeff explained that they were drawn to become homestay parents because they wanted to introduce a different culture to their families, and their children.
"We really look at it as expanding our family," added Carrie. "We remain in contact with the kids after they leave. I actually just got a message from one of my homestay students a few days ago that said, 'I miss your pancake breakfasts,'" she said with a laugh.
With their own children now grown up and out of the house, the Nahorneys say the international students feel like the "youngest siblings" in the family.
"We introduce them into our family," said Carrie. "Whatever we do, we include them. We try and get them to try new things around here. There are chores and homework, but there's a whole lot of fun as well — birthdays, movie nights, game nights."
As "semi-empty-nesters," Jeff says it's nice to have kids back in the house.
"But for families that have children, the experience for the youth is hugely valuable," he added. "Our time as homestay parents definitely broadened horizons for our children."
For Falter, Brusch and Schneider, one of the biggest adjustments has been the lack of public transportation options in Port Alberni. All three girls admitted it makes them "less independent" than they are in Germany.
"I always have to ask my host mom to drive me to places," said Brusch.
But all three girls agree that the best part about Port Alberni is the hockey arena. They are big fans of the local Junior 'A' teams the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and Port Alberni Bombers.
"And the nature is really pretty here," Schneider added.
Hallworth says the Bulldogs and Bombers are "huge draws" for international students.
"Some of them don't know anything about hockey, but they know it's important in Canada," she said. "They want that Canadian experience. So they're big attendees at the games."
"They come here and get smitten with watching ice hockey," Fryer added with a laugh.
All three girls say the experience has been life-changing — in a good way. Schneider says she would encourage other students to look into an international exchange.
"Your whole life will change," she said. "You'll get a second life, a second family."
"Try to say 'yes' to everything," Brusch added.
Anyone interested in applying to become a homestay family can visit the school district's website at www.sd70.bc.ca/isp.
