Canadian Thanksgiving – a Worldwise Celebration for Dulwich

At Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi, celebrating the traditions and cultures of our diverse community is an important element of College life. On Monday, 12 October our community celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with a traditional lunch attended by those students of Canadian original. We were thankful to be joined for this special occasion by Mr. Whately, Executive Director of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, and Mr. Giordano, Director of International Outreach and Alumni Engagement from Dulwich College International.

“Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.” ~ Og Mandino

Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to celebrate harvest, and those things we are thankful for from the past year. For our students, the efforts they commit throughout their time at the College will result in their future success; what they plant now - with our guidance and support - they will harvest later. Through our internationally adapted curriculum, wide range of co-curricular opportunities and commitment to academic excellence from Early Years through to the IGCSE and IB Diploma Programme, prepares students to Graduate Worldwise. Our students will harvest the skills, experiences and qualifications to attend top universities around the world and be prepared for life-long success. 

Befitting of the occasion, Mr. Giordano shared some insights highlighting the prominence of Canada as a destination for Dulwich College International students;

The event at the college with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce was very exciting for Dulwich College International’s outreach strategy. We are focused on promoting the profile of our students with universities worldwide, and efforts in Canada are especially important. Dulwich College International has graduated nearly 3,000 students since 2009. Over that time, approximately 10% of our graduates have attended university in Canada, making it our third most popular destination in the group. The quality of education, the post-university career options for international students, and the lifestyle make Canada attractive to many students and their families. However, three Canadian universities are in our Top 15 for matriculations: University of Toronto, University of British Columbia (UBC), and McGill University. Not only are these some of the best universities in Canada, but they are also considered to be some of the best in the world. In fact, the University of Toronto has received the second most DCI students of any university in the world. Given these trends, our counseling teams groupwide have made an effort to establish strong relationships with Canadian universities and to support Canada based alumni. In May 2018, a DCI delegation of three Heads of College, Karen Yung the Co-Founder of DCI, and I spent time working in Vancouver with UBC, Simon Fraser University and Emily Carr University of Art and Design. In September 2019, I had the opportunity to host over 20 alumni in Toronto to discuss their experiences and to understand how we can best support social and professional networking opportunities in this important international city. DCI looks forward to its graduates continuing to matriculate to and thrive in Canada.

One such DCI graduate, Janani Ramesh, has spoken about her academic journey from Dulwich College through to Emily Carr University of Art+Design in Vancouver, and her reasons for pursuing further education in Canada.

Vancouver has been such a wonderful place to live in these past four years. As someone who loves the outdoors, being on the coast has its beautiful perks of having the city, beaches, mountains and forests all within reach. The people of Vancouver are yet another reason that I enjoyed my continued stay here, for when you walk the streets you are bound to hear at least four different languages as people pass by, greet and smile at you. It is hard not to feel welcomed in this city that has everything I would miss being away from home.

Coming out of high school, I knew I wanted to get into design but was still unsure about which major to choose. Emily Carr University of Art+Design was my first choice as it is a university with a foundation year specifically built to help you try bit of everything before committing to one major. However, though you end up picking one major, you are still able to mix courses and take minors to figure out your passion and meet all kinds of talented artists and designers. Along their studio courses, ECU also prides itself in its research, writing, humanities and critical studies courses.

Personally, being in Canada, and specifically Emily Carr has tremendously broadened my job prospects. Canada is perfect for international students who wish to immigrate here, because it allows international students to work up to 20 hours a week within and outside university during the academic year, as well as work full-time during the holidays. International students who complete a university degree here are also given a visa to stay an additional three years to work here full-time which in turn aids those who wish to obtain a Permanent Resident status. Emily Carr has helped me find work at multiple tech startups, their very own Writing Centre and the Teaching and Learning Centre, and also allowed me to take part in TEDx. Moreover, their scholarship programs have also helped me feel so much more valued for the work I enjoy and continue to create.

All in all, I have greatly enjoyed my time here in Canada and the opportunities that this country and Emily Carr has provided me with, so much so that I could not dare to ask for more. 

This years’ Canadian Thanksgiving celebration at Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi was a memorable occasion: certainly, something to be thankful for. We look forward to continuing our relationships with Canadian universities and preparing our students to Graduate Worldwise.