Y12 Lindisfarne College student Sean Lagikula, of New Caledonia, said it had been difficult being away from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo / Paul Taylor
Y12 Lindisfarne College student Sean Lagikula, of New Caledonia, said it had been difficult being away from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo / Paul Taylor
pt101121cyrilvelhamel.JPG Cyril Velhamel, also from New Caledonia, missed his family and food. Photo / Paul Taylor
Teenage years are tough enough.
But the Covid-19 pandemic has made them even more complicated for Hawke's Bay's international students, some of whom now haven't been back home in more than two years.
SeanLagikula, of New Caledonia, is one such student.
The island nation which has a population of about 290,000 has had about 7000 Covid-19 cases and remains under strict lockdown restrictions.
He said it was of some comfort to his family that he was in New Zealand and that technology helped him keep in touch.
The Year 12 Lindisfarne College pupil has been an ambassador with the Learning Hawke's Bay programme for two years.
Cyril Velhamel, also from New Caledonia, missed his family and food. Photo / Paul Taylor
The programme was started about two year's ago to support Hawke's Bay's 60 or so international students, many of whom were unable to return home due to Covid-19 border restrictions.
It's now been picked up nationally.
Lagikula said it offered a support network and enjoyed getting to know people from other cultures and countries through the programme.
"It's good to get together. We are in the same boat."
Ashley Zheng, originally from Beijing, China, has spent the past five years in the country and has been an ambassador for the programme since it began.
The Year 12 Iona College student saw it as a chance to take up a leadership role.
"You spend five years and see all the senior girls and you want to be them. Suddenly you are in the same position."
Already a small school, she said there were only a handful of international students at the college now compared to 20 or so in previous years.
"There's not a lot of international students here anymore.
"Christmas 2019 was the last time the majority of the international students went home."
From left: Iona College students Grace Gao (Y11) and Ashley Zheng (Y13), both from China, said they missed home at times. Photo / Paul Taylor
The 17-year-old felt lucky to be in New Zealand having rebooked to an earlier flight just before the borders closed.
"That was a very good decision.
"You have started a new journey abroad and to have to go back when things change [would be hard]."
Zheng said she felt lucky to have an aunt in Hawke's Bay and a cousin studying nearby at Massey University.
She said food was a big part of the culture and something she missed, her favourite meal being Peking duck.
Entering her last year was "scary" and a bit "overwhelming" but she was thinking of studying food technology or pursuing her love of music.
Preem Kamonvisettham, a Year 13 Tamatea High School student, has been here for three years and is preparing to return home to Thailand for the first time in two years.
"It's been quite hard. I miss my family."
She'll be starting business studies at university there.
From left: Preem Kamonvisettham (Y13) from Thailand, and Vo Tran Khanh Nguyen (Y11), from Vietnam, became good friends when they met at Tamatea High School. Photo / Paul Taylor
Kamonvisettham said she had been offered lots of new cultural experiences while here.
She said she would miss her friends, including fellow Tamatea High School student Vo Tran Khanh Nguyen (Y11) who arrived from Vietnam a few weeks ago, and also New Zealand's fish and chips.
Learning Hawke's Bay board chair and international student director at Lindisfarne College Lisa Miles said it had been a hard year for the students.
Learning Hawke's Bay regional manager Wenhua Yang said the students made major contributions to the region.
"They help our domestic students learn about international and intercultural knowledge and skills and be better equipped to operate effectively in an internationally connected world."
That is why they wanted to organise an event where the students could celebrate the past two year's as well as recognise those taking part in the programme, opting for a day of golf in Hastings.
The programme includes students between the ages of 12 to 19 from places such as China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, New Caledonia, Korea, and New Zealand.
