"There's such a difference"

Joo Sung Kim talks about himself before he came to Stanstead College as if that was a different person. And in many ways it is.

“In South Korea, I used to look at people and think, ‘How do I get the better of this guy?’ Here, I think, ‘How am I going to work things out with this guy.’”

Now in Grade 11, Joo completed his first year of high school in his native Seoul. It wasn’t a good experience. He was constantly getting into trouble and having conflicts with other students. Consequently, his marks suffered.

“Out of about 300 students, I think I was probably 294 th,” he says.

Joo and his family decided to apply for school in North America. Through a friend, he heard about a small Canadian school where he could learn English – Stanstead College in Quebec’s Eastern Townships.

Joo enrolled in Stanstead’s Grade 8 English Second Language program. It was a transition year. Because he knew so little English, he associated mainly with his fellow Koreans. But it was also a year of growth. He soon learned that the consequence of misbehaviour was not merely a phone call to parents but disciplinary measures that could include suspension or expulsion.

“I knew I couldn’t fight here so I had to find ways to make peace,” he says.

Joo returned to Stanstead the following year to enroll in the regular Grade 8 program and has studied here ever since. In his second year, improved English allowed him to make more friends and become more involved in the school.

Last year, Joo attended a leadership conference, which in part led to him being named a school prefect – an appointment that was both a surprise and an honour. It was also a motivator.

“This school has accepted me so I should work hard at it,” he says.

A member of the soccer, rugby, basketball and tennis teams, Joo’s marks have also improved in his time here. He plans to return to Stanstead for Grade 12, then study either business or auto design at a Canadian university before returning to South Korea for his mandatory year of military service.

Joo’s academic advisor, Rob Davies, believes that Stanstead has been good for the young student.

“Joo has grown considerably in the time I’ve known him. He has emerged as a leader in our school community. He’s motivated and I think he’ll continue to grow in the Stanstead environment.”

All this change is not lost on Joo.

“I’m proud of myself when I see how I was before and where I am now. There’s such a difference.”

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