“In the early 1980s I went to live and work as an English language teacher in Bilbao in the Basque Country in Spain. Initially the experience was challenging as my spoken Spanish was incredibly weak. But I persevered and by the time I left Bilbao I was fluent in Spanish and I'd gained my first valuable work experience in international education. The confidence this gave me for my future work in international education reminds of the life changing opportunity that thousands of ILSC & Greystone students grasp for themselves when they travel to Australia or Canada to embark on their own transformative educational journeys.”

"I grew up in a small, rural community where the people, culture and viewpoints were, for the most part, the same. My very first experience with travel was when I moved to the “big” city. We undergo transformation when we experience anything new or outside from ourselves. This move within Canada was the first time I had this experience, and I was hooked. Through our incredible industry, I’ve had the opportunity to continue to travel and explore the globe. For me, beyond the travel and exposure to new places, it’s the connection with new people, culture, and ideas that is the most exciting. We learn and grow through these connections so the opportunity to connect and collaborate with people from around the globe is truly special to me."

“I’ve always been a curious soul wanting to travel and read about the world beyond where I am from, South Korea. I started my career as a librarian following my love of books then moving on to working for airline to pursue international travel to feed my curiosity, then ended up in Australia since 2002. I did not stop traveling up until last year then started falling in love with yoga and meditation over the last 2 years getting to know more about myself through nurturing my mind and body. With ILSC, I have been able to shape shift with so much love and joy. Beautiful people at ILSC have always inspired and influenced me to become who I am today and I look forward to my ever-expanding journey with ILSC.”

“I came to Canada as an International student 20 years ago. After finishing my study, I always wanted to help other international students to have the best experience. Then I met ILSC. I could share my story with international students and could see them having a transformative experience in their lives. It is just amzaing experience to be with others learning and growing.”

“The first real transformative experience in my life was travelling to Europe as a university student. I fell in love with the different cultures and perspectives. This trip led me to a career as a travel guide, where I could explore different countries and peoples. Understanding the world from different viewpoints changed my life forever and led me overseas to Canada 22 years ago, and I’ve been in the education industry for the last 18 years. As an immigrant myself, I’m proud to help people who study abroad and look for new cultural experiences and adventures.”

“As part of my bachelor’s degree, I spent a year in semi-rural France as an English language assistant in 1992/93 then, for want of any clear long term career plan, I spent a further year teaching English in Lithuania in 1994/95 in a public high school. These two experiences gave me a desire to work in international education and I have spent the last 22 years working with agents and students to achieve their study abroad goals.

Over the years I have had the great fortune to work across many different markets, both mature and developing, but in recent years much of my focus has been on Africa – not only has this allowed me to hone my language skills but also, helping those with far fewer opportunities available to them in their home country than we are used to, fits in perfectly with the ethos of ILSC – Empowerment through Education.”

“Coming from Brazil I always dreamed of travelling the world, meeting new people and learning about other cultures. I knew that English would be a big piece for this dream come true. After some years investing in studying English, I decided to “live the language” and came to Canada first for 6 months and after as an immigrant. Since then, so much happened; I had opportunity to live in Australia and to travel to so many places. Today Canada is my home and I feel so happy that I had the courage to chase my dreams. Learning English transformed my life and opened many amazing opportunities - it gave me the assurance to believe that people are very powerful and anything is possible.”

“My transformative experience had started since I was young - learnt to meet new people and different culture by traveling to nearby countries in Asia and I explored the bigger world when I was 20 years old having an amazing life lessons in the US. Then, opportunities from this industry for last 14 years have brought me to keep learning and experiencing new things.”

“The first experience I had to be in a foreign country, alone, was when I was 12. I went to Canada for a junior program and had so much fun. After that, I decided to leave Japan to learn English when I was 16, and then went to Canada to complete my degree when I was 18. I know how hard it is to learn a new language and live in a new country. However, I also know how amazing the experiences can be in those years. I want many people have this wonderful feeling, and this is why I am working at ILSC. I feel so happy when I see students who had transformative experiences with us, and I always feel this is the industry I should work in.”

“I discovered the world was a lot bigger than I thought when I first spent a summer in Boston as an exchange student from Japan at the age of 16. Since then, I have not stopped exploring the world. I feel a strong desire to learn from every person I meet and every culture I encounter in this beautiful world. Studying abroad and learning different languages opened another door in my life and brought me opportunities I could have never imagined. It is my wish and passion to help people discover their endless opportunities in this world.”

“I love in my life to meet many people, exchange energy with each other, and spread good influence on others. I have travelled numerous places around the world and met many people and it has led me to the industry of international education. Over the past 15 years, I have felt grateful for my journey in helping students, schools, and agent partners share the best experiences together and have a positive impact on each other.”

“The year I graduated from university, I embarked on a trip to Canada. It was my first time abroad, first time flying by myself, first time living on my own, first time I understood how big the world is. I didn't plan my trip before I set off because I know that no plan is the best plan. The results confirmed that I gained more than I expected, both physically and psychologically. Not only did I improve my language skills, and made friends from all over the world, but I also got to know myself, understand what I want, and establish my purpose in life! I hope my experience can encourage those who are still hesitating; take the first step forward, and the results will be beyond your imagination!”

“I remember, from a very young age that my parents always loved to travel. It was always something very present in my family's culture and I never understood why, until I took my first trip alone. My first exchange changed my way of seeing the world. Discovering different places, different food and culture, studying a different language, and getting to know people completely different from me, changed my way of seeing the world. Living in a different country makes travelling part of my day-to-day plans, and my future ambitions. I hope I can always learn something new through my travels, to never stop my transformative learning experience.”

“After working for 10 years on the Tourism industry, it was after I did my first exchange program that I went to Canada and I decided that I was going to be part of the change for other people's lives with this experience, like it changed mine. Today, after working with international education for 10 more years, I am sure that I made the right decision and I feel complete and happy. Whenever you have the opportunity to have the experience to travel abroad, live, learn and inspire, you should take it and enjoy!”

“My friends call me Esme. I am a coffeeholic, a mother, and a sales manager proudly representing ILSC in Mexico. I had my first transformative learning experience while I was doing my internship in the international affairs office of my University. I was in charge of welcoming international guests and making them feel at home! What a great job! During my university years, I got the opportunity to study abroad in the US and I did my master's degree in Spain. I consider myself an energetic traveler, as I enjoy making friends from all over the world, stepping away from my comfort zone, and challenging myself to new adventures. I'm fueled by the impact my job can make in someone's life. My goal is to take care of people, as we are working with real lives! Empathy and collaboration are keys to success, and tenets I try to live out through my interests in mindfulness, cooking, and traveling.”

“One of the best experiences for me has been to travel to Canada and be immersed in the culture. The first time I visited Canada was in 2011 and I fell in love immediately! I have been lucky enough to travel to different cities and provinces like New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Toronto, Vancouver, Niagara, and Montréal.

It has been beautiful and fulfilling to spend the last 20 years of my life promoting international education and being able to make the dreams of many students come true. When I follow their stories and see them living their dreams in this beautiful country, that's when I realize why my job makes so much sense.”

“My journey started at 16 when I traveled to Slovakia as an international student and realized the world was vast and full of interesting people with diverse backgrounds, different languages, and so much to offer. So, I could not help but fall in love with traveling and became eager to encourage others to experience the world through education. 16 years in the industry later, my passion for changing lives with the unique opportunity of studying abroad is still intact. I want to keep growing professionally and learning from this beautiful thing called life.”

“Scuba diving is without a doubt one of the most transformative experiences for me, I started practicing this sport 8 years ago and ever since my perception of the world changed. Not only has scuba diving taken me to different place all around the world but it made me understand how complex our planet really is,and the importance of taking care of it. Thanks to this sport I have met people from all around the world and made life long friendships.”

“I am very enthusiastic about meeting people and working in the education industry has shown me that I can reach my professional and personal goals doing what I love the most. Helping people is something that my family always taught me and it's a strong part of my personal values. Besides that, I fell in love with the very dynamic environment that is to always be surrounded by opportunities to grow myself in all ways from lessons learned and shared with me. This is not just a transformative experience for me, but part of who I want to be.”

“My first experience abroad was in London when I was 24 years old. After completing my master’s degree program, to gain international experience and improve my English, I travelled to London for an English program. To be honest, during my flight, I was so nervous due to my English level. At the airport, I saw only English words. I felt lost. I could not explain myself at the customs office. The customs officer spoke to me very calmly and understood me. The conversation took about 10 minutes. At the end of the conversation, the officer told me that after my English course, I will speak very good English. This conversation motivated me during my English language adventure in London. I worked on my English during my free time at the school. I visited museums in London. I met a lot of people from different countries. I heard different accents. I tried lots of different cuisines. I spoke to people about their lives and countries. It was a different feeling to understand foreign people in English. Sometimes, we made mistakes; although, nobody gave up. All my friends tried to speak English and understand each other. At the end of my adventure, I understood that these people have a different life than me. I need to see different countries and their lifestyles. Then, I started to work in the international education industry. I have been helping students to improve their education and professional career since 2013.”