March 25, 2019

Laurier International held its first annual Academic Improvement Scholarship and Student Recognition Dinner on March 19 to celebrate the academic efforts of Wilfrid Laurier University’s international students.

The event, held at Laurier’s Waterloo campus, recognized international students who have significantly improved their academic standing. Twenty-four students received academic improvement scholarships.

The night featured music by Laurier music student Christopher Clarke, a formal dinner and a keynote speech by international student alumnus Parker Zhang (BA ’14, MBA ‘18).

Ben Yang, director of global engagement at Laurier, commended the efforts of scholarship recipients.

“Being an international student has its own set of challenges: being in a new country, living and studying in a new environment, and sometimes, mastering a new language,” said Yang. “I believe the strongest judge of character is to observe someone who demonstrates resilience and turns things around. I'm very proud of these students.”

Zhang, a financial planner in Waterloo, shared his experience as an international student.

“My academic journey was not without its share of bumps in the road,” Zhang said. “However, I took advantage of the resources available to me at Laurier, put a plan in place and then put the work in.”

Laurier International provides services and resources to ensure international students make a successful transition to learning in a Canadian post-secondary environment. Peer tutoring, writing workshops, academic advising, math assistance, social networking and career planning are some of the resources available to Laurier’s 1,600 international students.

Student guests at the event were invited to express their academic experience in one word by writing it in gold marker on purple stones. "Grateful, new beginnings, friends and fun" were some of the words shared.