It's been a year of personal growth and incredible experiences in the company of new families and friends for Rotary Exchange student Ilona Sferlazza.
It's been a year of personal growth and incredible experiences in the company of new families and friends for Rotary Exchange student Ilona Sferlazza.
In fact, despite being here since August 2016, leaving on July 13 to return to her hometown of Bernissart, Belgium seems too soon, says the 17-year-old.
“I found friends and family here,” said Sferlazza. “I feel like I'm ready to go home, like I achieved the things I wanted to, but at the same time I don't want to leave my friends and everyone just yet. That will be so sad.”
Sferlazza came to Okotoks as part of the Rotary exchange program.
She has been attending Holy Trinity Academy, where she said teachers like Kathy Royce, Les Giraudier, Stephanie Krueger, Wendy Doerksen and Martin Kennedy made a real impact on her. Her early days at school would have been especially difficult without their support, she said.
There have been other perks to being a Grade 12 student at HTA this year. As a band student, she had the opportunity to travel to Cuba for a one-week mission trip with the school's music program.
“It was so beautiful and the culture is just amazing,” said Sferlazza. “It was a really good experience to add to my exchange.”
There have been other trips along the way, through the Rotary. She travelled to Banff and Lake Louise, which she said were her favourite places to visit in Canada and there was a trip to Mexico to build houses for those in need.
This week, she's on a nine-day hike through the Rockies with other Rotary exchange students to experience more of Canada's backcountry.
The people she spent time with over the past 10 months have enriched her time in Canada, she said.
One of the most notable is her best friend from HTA, Julia Potapczuk. The two met in a band class back in September, became fast friends and have been inseparable since the first day they sat beside each other for a rehearsal.
“I had a really big friend crush on her and then one day by chance she was put beside me in band class,” said Potapczuk. “We started talking and she told me she hadn't made any really good friends yet and I was like, “I can be your friend,' and it all started from there.”
What started was a life-long friendship, as far as they're concerned. They plan to stay connected via social media once Sferlazza leaves and visit each other fairly regularly.
Potapczuk's family comes from Poland, where they visit twice a year – which will give the girls an opportunity to meet up at least once every few months. It won't stop them from missing each other, though.
“Right now it hasn't really hit me at all, but probably a day or two after she's gone it will and I'll be crying,” said Potapczuk.
She said it's been nice to have a friend in Okotoks with European roots because they have a good understanding of one another's culture and lifestyle.
But there have still been a few things Potapczuk will take credit for introducing to her Belgian friend – such as poutine, Sferlazza's favourite Canadian food.
“Poutine, yes, that's still my favourite, I haven't changed my mind on that,” said Sferlazza, who first tasted the French fry, cheese and gravy dish back in September.
She's also learned a lot from each of her four host families, she said.
“They're all very different and I love them so much,” said Sferlazza. “It was really hard to move all the time, but once you're there after one week it's good.”
She has inherited four new families and some new siblings: a 17-year-old brother from her first host family, an 18-year-old sister from the third and an 11-year-old sister and four-month old baby brother from her current family.
Adjusting to life with a newborn has been interesting for Sferlazza, who has one older brother at home in Belgium.
“It's fun,” she said. “It's like another atmosphere in the house. Living with adults and then having a little baby, so cute, it's very different.”
She's excited to see her parents, brother and grandmother in Belgium, but said she hasn't missed them too much while she's been enjoying life in Okotoks.
It's about striking a balance between your home life and your exchange life, she said.
“Your heart is divided in two parts,” said Sferlazza. “You have your life in Belgium and you have a second life and everything is good here. For sure I want to see them again, but I've been making sure I enjoy my exchange as much as I could before I go home.”
Once she returns home, she plans to attend university in Mons, Belgium, where she will take courses to become a translator in English and Spanish, followed by a teaching degree.
But leaving for home comes after two more very important Canadian traditions: the high school prom and the Calgary Stampede.
“I have so much to do still,” said Sferlazza. “It's going to be hard to leave. I love Okotoks. I feel like it's my home now.”
For those thinking about applying for a Rotary Exchange, she advises to keep going and never let any obstacle stand in the way. It's important to take advantage of every opportunity and say yes to everything, she said – even if that's just going grocery shopping with the host family.
“It's trying stuff all the time, new things, even if you're scared,” said Sferlazza. “Nobody will judge you. And you will have an excuse that you're not from this country, so it's okay.”
