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What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part of my job is being a part of the student experience from admissions all the way through to graduation. It is rewarding to play an integral part of our students’ experience in Canada by supporting them in their initial transition in Canada and helping students overcome any challenges they encounter as a result of living with a host family in a new country.  Being away from home can be challenging for anybody and it can be difficult to adjust to unfamiliar surroundings, different food, and a new language. For international students who go abroad at a young age, it can be even more challenging. Homestay can help provide a safe and caring environment where students can adjust to life in a home away from home.

What are the most important considerations when making homestay placements?

When matching a student to a homestay family, careful consideration is given to the individual student’s background, age, gender, and preferences. We want to ensure that each student has a successful and meaningful experience at Braemar College, and ensuring that the student is happy and comfortable in their accommodation arrangements is the first step.

What are the key features you look for when adding homestay families to the network?

Our students’ safety, happiness and wellbeing is at the core of what we consider when adding homestay families to our networks. Each homestay family that has been added to our network is carefully vetted in the application process. A homestay coordinator visits each home to ensure that the living conditions meet our standards.

What, according to the students, are the best parts about staying with a homestay family?

Our students love the fact that when they arrive in Canada, they are not alone in navigating their new city. They are warmly welcomed by their host family and have the opportunity to live and learn from them. Students enjoy experiencing first-hand different cultures and the diversity that Toronto has to offer. They are able to experience new cultures, traditions, and foods.

What are the advantages of homestay over residential accommodation?

Homestay has a lot of advantages compared to boarding at a school. The primary advantage is that you are fully immersed in local culture. Depending on the level of involvement that you choose to have with your host family, a homestay can present an opportunity to experience the realities of daily life in the new country. Additionally, you can have access to local knowledge on events, attractions, or local sites that you would never have known of. Your homestay family may provide you with tips on where to visit and give you advice on surviving in your new environment. If the timing is right, you also get to experience local traditions and holidays such as Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving or other holidays that your host family may celebrate, depending on their own background, culture and religion.

Another important advantage is that you can improve your English through complete immersion. You have more exposure to authentic daily English compared to boarding where exposure tends to be primarily with other ESL students.

From the parents’ points of view, it is one of the safest forms of accommodation for students. Knowing that their children will be fed regularly with a balanced diet and will be taken care of by a host family gives the parents a peace of mind.

HK speaks English, German, and Korean, and can be reached at studentservices@braemarcollege.com