Momoko Yoshida - EAL - Japan

I have been staying in Canada for one and a half years with about 10 months in P.E.I. I took English as a Second Language for five months at Holland College in 2004 and now I’m taking their Journalism program.

Why PEI? Almost everyone I’ve met in Canada asked me that question. I don’t really have a good answer to this question, but I like it here. PEI is a perfect place for studying, it is quiet and peaceful and people are kind and unique. Schoolwork is tough, especially for me. We study how to write and actually do an interview then write a story. It’s the most interesting and exciting part of the program, but it also means the hardest part for me as my first language is Japanese.

I interviewed a man who had participated in a volunteering program overseas who said, “You can learn so much more when you go somewhere else.” I think that’s true because we learn from every single experience. I've learned in Canada not only how to speak English and how to write, but also how to meet people and how to talk to them, how to find a place to live, how to cook, how to encourage myself, how to be brave... It's just a huge experience.

I will keep trying and I want to keep learning.

Li Xinyue - Sichuan Province, China

I am a second year Hotel and Restaurant Management student in Holland College. The reason I chose Hotel and Restaurant Management is because I can learn a lot from both theory and practical. All the students get the chance to work in a Fine Dining Restaurant or at an exclusive Hotel. After I graduate, I will not only receive a diploma but will also have tons of valuable experience. I can also transfer my credits to a Degree. Everyone gives me lots of support. No matter if it is to study or about life, instructors always help me as much as they can. I am very appreciative and enjoy my time here in PEI.

Kristi Heller - Florida, USA

I have enjoyed my Culinary experience at Holland College and living on Prince Edward Island. The Pastry Arts program is so much fun and our instructors are great. PEI is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I will never forget what I have learned, the people I have met, and the beautiful Island beaches.

Zhu Yandan - Hunan Province, China

Prince Edward Island is a wonderful place and the people are so nice. It provides the international students with a very good English language environment. I believe that studying at Holland College was a right choice. My teachers and classmates are very friendly and help me a much as possible. I love my program, Hotel and Restaurant Management and I learned a lot from it.

Rebeca Osuna - Mexico

When I received the proposal about the Mobility Exchange Program, I immediately knew that it would be an incredible opportunity to improve and develop academic skills, but I never imagined that I wasn’t aware of the reality. Now that the time went by so quickly, I can say that the experience of studying outside of your country, is much more than growing in a professional field, or covering an academic curricula. It is learning: from the nature, the people, and the surroundings. The fact of understanding a different culture, living it from the inside and adapting yourself to new situations, allows you to develop many important aspects of life, which will increase your vision of this world.

This excellent exchange program went even far from my expectations. Is hard for me to explain with words the experience I am living in this amazing country, I am sure that it will be hard to stop expressing my deep appreciation for the opportunity that Holland College provided me during this time.

Sandra Semlitsch - Rankweil, Austria

When I first informed myself about PEI and Holland College the first images I got where of beautiful nature and Anne of Green Gables. However I came to experience that PEI offers much more.

After starting the college year I soon made friends, got involved in daytrips and also discovered the nightlife of Charlottetown. Soon enough I had to write tests and many different kinds of assignments that make up so much a part of the College routine.

Looking back, it was the right decision to come to Holland College. I experienced a North American lifestyle, broadened my knowledge and certainly learned a lot for my life.

Still the one thing that made this stay here unforgettable are the friendly and always helpful people that I met here in and outside college and who came to be my friends and with whom I will certainly stay in contact.