91泡芙

By Nicole North

George Xu has just begun his Master of Education studies at the University of Western Ontario after recently completing a double minor in Linguistics and Education at 91泡芙.

For George, his deep-rooted sense of belonging at SFU stemmed from a connection to the spirit and values of the university, as well as the academic drive that came from finally landing on the right program of study to suit his needs and aptitude. The supportive relationships that George made with classmates, mentors and advisors formed an invaluable part of his sense of belonging. Connecting with the SFU community and sharing common interests was a very important aspect of George鈥檚 journey. 

Please tell us about what inspired you to study at SFU. 

I am an international student who received a very traditional Chinese exam-oriented education. I discovered that this education system, overly focused on grades while neglecting the development of students' comprehensive abilities, was not suitable for me. My first encounter with SFU had occurred during a Vancouver summer camp in high school. The university's tranquil atmosphere, distant snow-capped mountains, and breathtaking views overlooking Vancouver utterly captivated me. I decided to pursue my university studies in Canada to seek a learning environment and cultural setting that better suited me. 

I applied for SFU bursaries, which provided significant support. Initially, I pursued Economics, following the path chosen by most international students around me. However, I gradually realized this wasn't the academic focus I had envisioned. I decided to declare a double minor in Education and Linguistics. 

My interest in Education stemmed from the atmosphere I encountered after arriving in Canada, which felt entirely different from traditional Chinese education. The emphasis here leaned more toward freedom, inclusivity, and nurturing students' creativity and comprehensive abilities. My fascination with Linguistics arose from my love for learning English and my lifelong interest in language and culture. 

Did experiential learning opportunities have an impact on your journey?  

Experiential learning was a large component of the Linguistics course that I took with Claudia Wong Einwag on English language teaching, in which I had the opportunity to collaborate with my group members to develop a teaching model for refugee communities. We designed classroom activities considering the practical realities of different groups' trauma responses, language receptivity and collaborative abilities. This experience profoundly impacted me and sparked reflection on the current state of multilingual communities. As a student of linguistics and education, I deeply recognize the practical importance of integrating these disciplines and urge Canadian society to place greater emphasis on supporting minority language communities. 

In one of my Education courses, my teaching assistant, , would take us to SFU's sports field and the trails of Burnaby Mountain whenever the weather permitted. There, amidst nature, she would lead discussions on educational topics. This holistic experiential learning felt exceptionally unique, profoundly demonstrating that pedagogy can unfold anywhere. Absorbing knowledge from the environment like Indigenous peoples do and experiencing knowledge dissemination through nature can prove more effective than classroom learning. 

Have you taken advantage of resources and services offered by SFU?  

I cannot express in words how grateful I am for the support that I received from every part of the university during my studies at SFU. I received invaluable support from Professor of Education Natalia Gajdamaschko, as well as from Jade Ho, David Lam Centre Scholar in Residence. I also received guidance from SFU's International Student Services, and from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) office, particularly Marilyn Trautman. 

My advisor in the Department of Linguistics, Rita Parmar, provided invaluable guidance on course selection and academic planning, offering extensive advice on program direction and graduation strategies. There were times when the Linguistics coursework felt overwhelming but my instructors never gave up on me. These included Eva Tchizmarova, Sylvia Cho, Suzanne Hilgendorf and Claudia Wong Einwag. Their assistance extended beyond academic guidance, offering emotional understanding and motivation. My mentors never gave up on me just because I didn't achieve the highest grades in class, which I had experienced at previous institutions. Instead, they offered me tremendous support, allowing me to experience the inclusivity education should embody and reigniting my passion for learning. 

Please share about the challenges you have faced in starting graduate school.  

I consulted with numerous mentors regarding graduate program prospects, receiving considerable encouragement and constructive feedback. Ultimately, I selected the Master of Education program at Western University. After receiving my offer, I applied for a new study permit to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in July 2025. Due to Western University's policy, if I couldn't obtain my new visa by September 19th, I would have to defer my enrollment until September of next year. 

This forced me to reach out to the MP office in Burnaby, as my attempts to explain my situation via webform and phone to IRCC yielded no response. The office of Burnaby MP Terry Beech submitted an explanatory letter from Western University on my behalf to IRCC, and I was finally able to obtain my visa renewal.

I know many international students who are still waiting for their visas, and some are having to defer enrollment because they cannot obtain a visa in time. I believe that IRCC should offer more timely assistance to students facing imminent start dates and urgent needs, as the current processing time of five months for visa renewal is clearly excessive.