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When Bisi Alawode wed his fiancée Tito this fall, they didn’t only begin their married life together.
They also embarked on that new chapter of their lives in a faraway country.
The newlyweds moved from Lagos, Nigeria – Africa’s largest city with a population of 21 million – to Sarnia with dreams of furthering their educations.
Bisi, who had been working as a photographer, wanted to expand his skills, so he enrolled in the new digital photography program. His wife Tito signed up for the business management program.
“When you leave family for a long distance and you can’t wake up and go talk to them, it can be emotional, but my experience at Lambton College has been wonderful,” Bisi Alwode told an audience gathered at a Cultural Connections session Thursday.
The monthly educational series organized by the Sarnia-Lambton Local Immigration Partnership features guest speakers from a variety of cultures and backgrounds.
On Thursday, Lambton College played host to the December session, highlighting their growing international education department.
This fall, 290 international students attended the college’s Sarnia campus. Another 130 more international students are expected this winter.
The bulk of students come from Nigeria, China and India, noted Chris Slade, dean of the college’s international education department.
“In Lagos, Nigeria, Lambton College is as well-known as Centennial and Humber here,” he said.
The college is now expanding its attraction efforts to South Korea, Ukraine and Russia.
Slade said the goal is to continue growing into a diverse campus, so both domestic and international students can learn from one another.
“You can walk through the hallways and see the conversations, the friendships and the relationships and we’re proud of that,” he said.
First-year business management student Divya Reddy said her Canadian classmates and her homestay family have been welcoming to her.
“They treat you like a family member,” said Reddy, who hails from India. “They teach you about Canadian culture.”
Both Alawode and Reddy have become active in student life at Lambton College. They’ve set up a Facebook page “Lambton College International Students Working Group” to connect students from across the world studying at the college.
Students, like Alawode and Reddy, are an inspiration, Slade noted. They pay higher tuition fees without any government assistance and leave behind families to pursue their careers.
He said the college is trying to build more “global citizens” – people who are adaptable and open-minded – for the workforce.
In many ways, international students embody those characteristics, he noted.
“They’re really an example for us all,” he said.
