Gaining an education can be a stressful time. Now, imagine gaining that education in a country where the language is foreign as are the customs, food and people. International students face these challenges daily and some still manage to do it with a smile.

With more than 290,000 international students flocking to the great white north every year, this experience is becoming more commonplace for members of our student body. The Canadian Bureau of International Education also shows that these international students not only bring their brains along for the journey, but also their cash. Canada derives around $8 billion annually from those international students enrolling educational institutions across the country.

Lethbridge College’s student population is represented by people from over 30 countries who are enrolled in full time studies who are also learning English simultaneously. Jaeup You is one student who decided to celebrate the variety of cultures on campus is engineering and drafting student. You travelled from Seoul, South Korea leaving behind his friends, family and career to move to Lethbridge to further his studies.

“I worked for a piping company in Korea, Alberta is really famous for it’s oil and gas so I wanted to improve my career, so that’s why I decided here, and it’s warmer here than other places in Alberta,” laughs You.

Wanting to make the most of his time at the college, You sought to create a club where he could meet other students, learn about their backgrounds and take a break from studying and so, the international club was ratified with the LCSA this semester.

Katie De Ruyck, LCSA Vice President of Student Life, believes student clubs are a great way to integrate people from all walks of life. “Student clubs create a whole different social atmosphere and they give students a connectivity they can strive for.”

Moustafa Mohsin, business administration student and club member, says he walked by the international club table during club rush week and joined immediately. “Jaeyup makes joining very approachable. That’s actually how we became friends is through the club, so for a guy like me who is just starting in my first year and first semester, this is an excellent opportunity to meet people.”

It may be surprising to know you don’t need to be an international student to join. Tatyana Knelsen, general studies student, joined for similar reasons as Mohsin. “I figured it was a great way to learn some different languages and it’s been really fun getting to know everyone.”

There are 65 members of the international club, some are from afar, some are local, but all aim to get together frequently to have fun and close the books for a few hours to forget the stresses of school and studying. If you’d like to find out more or contact the club, check out the LCSA website.