Each year, Trinity Western University welcomes more than 2,000 international undergraduate students representing over 70 countries. This provides an amazing opportunity for all students, both domestic and international, to practise radical hospitality, or love of strangers. Matthew 25:35-40 tells us that whenever we welcome strangers, we are actually welcoming Jesus. In our beautiful, multicultural community, we have a daily opportunity to not only share our homeland with visitors, but also to experience the richness of other global cultures. 

With that in mind, we have asked three of TWU’s international students to give us a glimpse into their home countries and the aspects that make them special. 

Heyan Yang, first-year sociology major

MH: Where do you call home?

HY: I’m originally from Qingdao, a city on the east coast of China. 

MH: What do you want people to know about it?

HY: It’s a very beautiful place, and in many ways it feels similar to Vancouver because of the ocean and the scenery. Qingdao is especially famous for its beer and seafood. It was occupied by Germany during World War I, and because of that, you can still see traditional German-style architecture and even a large old beer pipeline in the downtown area.

MH: How long have you been in Canada and what brought you here?

HY: I have only been here for seven months, but I studied in Europe for four years. My high school teacher highly recommended [TWU] because it’s a Christian university.

MH: What do you miss the most about your hometown or country?

HY: I miss my dog and the sea smell.

MH: In what way(s) has travelling away from your place of origin helped shape you?

HY: It has shaped me as a person to know what I want, what I want to do and what I can do. It has helped me to know myself better.

Cristina Pedraza, second-year political science major

MH: Where do you call home?

CP: For me, home is Mexico City.

MH: What makes it special? 

CP: Mexico City is truly a place where everything is constantly moving. It is huge with a myriad of things to do, from visiting pyramids to going to the latest art festival, you can never get bored. But the best part about it is the people and the food. There’s always someone to talk to and amazing tacos to eat on the street. 

MH: How long have you been in Canada and what brought you here? 

CP: I’ve been in Canada for a little over a year and I came here for my degree because I wanted to experience education outside of my home country. 

MH: What do you miss the most about your hometown or country? 

CP: I miss my friends and family the most, with the food being a close second. 

MH: In what way(s) has travelling away from your place of origin helped shape you? 

CP: It has made me push myself out of my comfort zone so much. From immigration processes to navigating how to make friends from scratch, it’s all very new territory for me. 

Mariam Khaled, second-year MA in Interdisciplinary Humanities student

MH: Where do you call home? 

MK: Cairo, Egypt. As long as I am there, then I am home. The whole city is my home. I belong to every street and building and house and tree. They are all mine, and I am all theirs.  

MH: What do you want people to know about it?

MK: Cairo is more than the historical monuments it holds. While the pyramids and the temples and the Sphinx and everything else are truly a wonder, the people and their spirits are what makes Cairo, Cairo. So, if you ever visit, venture out to meet the people as much as you would to see the places; both are well worth your time. 

MH: How long have you been in Canada and what brought you here? 

MK: I have been here almost one full year now. I came here to study. 

MH: What do you miss the most about your hometown or country? 

MK: For some reason, I never miss the big stuff. I miss hearing my name pronounced correctly. I miss the smell of the sun. I miss the melodic honking of cars mid-rush hour. I miss the feeling of knowing that exactly where you stand, a hundred years ago, someone else stood in the exact same building under the exact same shade, and a hundred years later someone else will stand there too. I miss knowing that I was part of the ever-continuing history of my city, that even if I won’t be remembered, it is still a fact that I was there once, just like the millions before me. An ever-present sense of belonging. 

MH: In what way(s) has travelling away from your place of origin helped shape you? 

MK: To be fair, I spent most of my childhood away from Egypt. I took my first airplane away from home at two-months-old, so I don't think it has shaped me significantly in a way I can pinpoint. But I do see a difference in myself since coming here. I understand more of the world, as cliché as it seems. Knowing there is a wide world out there is quite different from experiencing it firsthand. [It has helped me] understand that I can stretch my hand as far as I can, and I would still find people to know and love and share great memories with, even if it is the exact opposite of everything I grew up knowing.