Wider Horizons

Eduardo Sonsin chose the 21st century forum of Instagram to count down the days until he left his home of São Eduardo SonsinPaulo, Brazil, to study at Lethbridge College. In the 53 days before his departure last summer, he flooded his account with pictures of Lethbridge’s post office, the High Level Bridge, the Rocky Mountains and even the Lethbridge College flags.

Since his arrival, he has been juggling full-time school and work and now posts pictures of pancakes drenched with maple syrup, scenic snowy shots and comments like: “How can you not love this place?”

Sonsin decided to study in Canada more than two years ago after meeting a friend named Jonathan Guignard, who was originally from Lethbridge. When Sonsin, who had earned his Bachelor’s degree in information technology in Brazil, mentioned wanting to study abroad, Jonathan told him about the college. He spent the next two years saving money and preparing for the trip more than 10,000 kilometers from home.

Aside from the coffee (he prefers Brazilian espresso) and the cold weather (“When it was -25, -30 earlier in the winter, I thought ‘What am I doing here?”), he has been thrilled with the choice. “I love all the teachers,” says Sonsin, who taught himself English watching movies with subtitles. “They are amazing. The teachers here actually care about the students. They want to help you learn.”

He would passionately recommend studying in a new country if the opportunity arises. “It’s an amazing experience, being in a new place, a new culture, with a new language,” he says. “You’ll learn a lot leaving your comfort zone. If it’s your dream, just do it. You won’t regret that.”

To see photos of Sonsin’s countdown to coming to Canada and his life in Lethbridge, check out instagram.com/sonsin/.

Wider Horizons
Lisa Kozleski
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