Hundreds of international students return home as school year wraps in Nova Scotia

Saying goodbye is never easy, even to people you have only known for a few months.

That’s a lesson international students know all too well as they gear up to return home as the school year comes to a close in Nova Scotia.

“It was great. Time went way faster than I thought and I met a lot of people and I will never forget them,” says Amelia Zanolin, a student from Italy.

“I’m going to start crying because she has been my mom for a year,” adds Turkish student, Doga Acemogulo.

Both are among the 1,500 teens who have studied in Nova Scotia this past year. Turns out the province is a popular destination -- nearly 300 others had to be turned away.

“There’s many more students who want to come and study in Nova Scotia than we can accommodate, just based on finding enough homestay families to host our students,” says the executive director of the Nova Scotia International Student Program (NSISP), Mike Rosson.

In its 25-year existence, the NSISP has welcomed 23,000 students from more than 70 countries.

“They really enrich our schools and communities by coming and studying in Nova Scotia,” Rosson says.

Opening their doors to students from around the world is unforgettable for their host families.

“I think it’s just a rewarding experience. If you can offer a place in your home and accept them into your home, part of the family, I think that’s great,” says Robert Langille.

Langille was one of the first host parents, taking in a student from Mexico back in 1999.

Students can choose the province but not the community in which they study. Landing in remote towns like Cheticamp or Saint Bernard in Digby County can be a culture shock at first, but lifelong bonds are quickly made.

“People are so nice and there’s actually so many things to do in the community and there were so many internationals that I was never bored,” says Lilou Pourchaux from France.

“It was great,” says Dutch student Elisa Lennens. “I discovered culture from Canada and I met a lot of friends because in our school there is a lot of international students so I have friends all over the world.”

The experience is often so rich that many return. Can Buge was in the program in 2014. He attended Sydney Academy and returned for university. Buge eventually moved back from Turkiye with his family and all are now Canadians.

“I felt so happy because people in Sydney were amazing. I felt at home, they made me feel welcome. It was so hard to leave my country for sure but I’m glad to be a citizen right now,” Bugge says.

So as the emotional farewells linger, perhaps the waves goodbye are more of a “see you later.”