— Submitted photo
She knows that many people, when they see her dark skin, will immediately wonder if she is associated with Grenfell Campus, Memorial University or maybe a health care professional working for Western Health.
That’s because those two entities are the two likeliest sources of people living in the Corner Brook area who are from outside the country.
Young is from the Bahamas. She has studied and worked in the health care field in the United States, but she moved to Corner Brook with her three children three years ago to study environmental studies at Grenfell.
“When people ask me where I’m from, I tell them I live here,” she said.
Don’t get her wrong. Young has had a phenomenal experience living in Corner Brook.
She loves the people and the welcome she has received and is even getting used to the climate that is more than just a few degrees of separation from that of her native country.
When she finishes her studies, likely in the spring of 2016, Young hopes to continue living, working and contributing to making Corner Brook a place where intercultural experiences become more and more common.
That is music to the ears of Ivan Emke, who was recently appointed facilitator of internationalization at Grenfell.
Earlier this month, Memorial University as a whole finalized a new internationalization plan aimed at enhancing its efforts to involve more faculty, staff and students on an international level.
Emke said Grenfell is already on the path the entire university is now steering.
He said the new internationalization office and plan will make the university’s progress more measurable.
Like Young, Emke wants the internationalization of Grenfell to mean just as much to local students attending Grenfell and the community at large as it does to the students from afar and Grenfell’s bottom line.
Corner Brook is not always an easy place to integrate into, said Emke.
“When our students are in class and on campus, we have some control over their experience,” he said. “When they leave campus, we have no control. So, if they have a good experience within the region and the city, that is of great benefit to us.”
Young said grenfell has been doing a fantastic job with its international efforts so far.
“It is a process and will take time,” she said.
Twitter: WS_GaryKean
Studying abroad
• In less than four years, the number of foreign students studying at Grenfell has risen from around 10 to 81 people from two dozen different countries. Those 24 countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Brazil, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saint Lucia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, U.S.A. and Zimbabwe
• Grenfell has memoranda of understanding and exchange agreements in the West Indies, Iceland, the Netherlands, Colombia, Uruguay, Costa Rica and Mexico. Additional collaborations are being sought in Ireland and Scotland.
• Articulation agreement that allow students to enter degree programs at Grenfell with advanced standings are being negotiated with Belize, bahamas, barbados.
Source: Grenfell Campus
