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On Thursday, August 28, 2025, we welcomed a new group of International Students that are beginning school at the Halton Catholic District School Board!

This year, students have travelled from over 12 countries to come and study at our schools! These countries include; Brazil, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, People’s Republic of China, Philippines, Spain, Suriname, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

The Welcome Orientation event was held in the beautiful library at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in Oakville. The day began with an icebreaker game of “Get to Know You BINGO”, and three student BINGO winners received Tim Horton’s gift cards and zip binders!

International Student Program (ISP) staff presented important school and community information to students, and guest speakers from our homestay providers (Canada Homestay Network and Dream Homestay Ontario) and medical insurance provider (StudyInsured) presented information and answered questions about homestay and medical insurance.

HCDSB Student Senators from various secondary schools were also at the Welcome Orientation. The Student Senators were available throughout the day to assist our new students with their event activities, answer questions, and even share their own school experiences and insightful advice.

The day ended with a catered barbeque lunch outside, where our new students had the opportunity to get to know each other better.

We wish all of our International Students an amazing 2025-26 school year!

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The following write-up was prepared by Alice (Shimiao) Zhang, an International Student from Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School.

We congratulate Alice on this spectacular milestone and look forward to all that she will accomplish in the future!

I’m incredibly honoured to be awarded the University of Waterloo Faculty of Science International Student Scholarship, valued at $80,000.

Being an international student isn’t always easy. The hecticness of moving in, adapting to new education systems, and redefining your way of living are all part of the package. But it nurtured my resilience and adaptability like no other experience could. Having moved countries twice, I have learned to be fearlessly proactive in the communities I care about. I think this mindset is crucial to meaningful learning and growth.

By participating in various school activities and international programs since my move, I’ve come to realise the importance of community. Building deep connections with people, whether from FIRST Robotics or the CERN-Solvay Programme, has made me feel a sense of belonging and opened doors I never imagined possible. The support I received both as an international student and as a woman in STEM drives me to reciprocate. Whether it’s co-founding Holy Trinity’s Math Club with my friends, running book drives for the underserved, helping HCDSB with international student orientations, or distributing menstrual products at robotics competitions, I want to pay forward the cross-continent support that shaped my journey around the world.

As a first-generation university student, I’m ready for the road ahead. My goal is to pursue a PhD in physics and contribute to research at institutes like CERN. This summer, I will be gaining physics research experience at the University of Toronto to prepare for a great start at Waterloo. I look forward to joining new communities while exploring outreach opportunities on and off campus!

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