A record number of international students are studying at Cape Breton middle schools and high schools this year.
School has only been in session for about two weeks, but students representing four different countries and three continents seem to be settling in nicely at Memorial High School in Sydney Mines, N.S.
"I did some searching up and then just found Nova Scotia,” says South Korean student Jae-Ha Lee. “Beautiful place with the nature and relaxing. I just thought, ‘Wow, this is the place that I want to go and study.’"
Jae-Ha Lee has already been in Cape Breton for a semester. Brand new students hailing from Ecuador, Germany and the Turkish capital of Ankara have arrived this year.
While algebra and trigonometry can be tougher to learn in a second language, many of the international students are enjoying what they say is a more laid back learning experience.
"We have more freedom here. In Ecuador, we start class at 7 a.m. and finish at 5 p.m.," says Grade 12 student Nicolas Cueva.
"We had to wear uniforms in public and private schools. The classes we had, for example, 11 classes and nine classes a day," says Grade 12 Turkish student Ayrem Yavuz.
With 123 new international students and 25 returning, the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board is celebrating a record year.
The international students have to meet criteria under both the Nova Scotia International Student Program and agencies in their home countries. Students and their families have a say in where they go, with many choosing the Maritimes because of its natural beauty and more relaxing lifestyle.
"Some of our students are just amazed to sit down at a bonfire and roast marshmallows because they can't have bonfires in their home country. They want to look at the stars because when they look up at the sky at night in their home country, they can't see the stars," says Scott Clements, manager of the Nova Scotia International Student Program.
The school board says it has 148 international students total to start the school year. One of the largest groups hails from Turkey, with 13 students and a teacher chaperone.
The board is also welcoming its first-ever student from New Zealand.
"I think it's rewarding for us because it brings so much to our schools and our communities," says Clements.
In some cases, students end up staying in the Maritimes and starting careers.
"I want to go to college around here and try to stay,” says Jae-Ha Lee.
No matter where they go after high school, the students say they’ll always bring a bit of the Maritimes with them.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald.
