Leila Abubakar still remembers how cold Prince George felt when she first arrived.
Thousands of kilometres from her homeland in Kenya, the international student didn't know what to expect.
"My first reaction was absolute shock," she said. "I didn't know a soul. I'm coming from a completely different way of doing things. The system of education here is highly different from the system of education back home.
"It's very easy to be absolutely overwhelmed."
Now, almost five years later, she's being recognized as this year's recipient of the Elizabeth Paterson Award for International Student Leadership.
The College of New Caledonia nominated Abubakar, who is finishing her degree at the University of Northern B.C. Although the award doesn't carry scholarship support with it, Abubakar is happy for the recognition.
"It was a validation of hard work," said the 27-year-old. "I've tried really hard to integrate myself with the society here."
In the early days Abubakar threw herself into part-time studies and work as well as her volunteer passions.
Much of her work involved making newcomers like her feel welcome. She joined the student international ambassador program and became an active volunteer.
"It was just grassroots," she said, but with her help, she organized the first welcome party for international students, which has since become an annual event.
"I love this community," Abubakar said of Prince George.
But that kind of connection means getting involved, which can be a tough task for those with few community ties.
"Your first reaction is to retract into yourself," she said of those vulnerable early days, "or you can go all out and do as much as you can and see if something sticks."
Both CNC and UNBC have international student departments, which Abubakar said puts them ahead of other Canadian institutions.
"We're very fortunate," she said, adding professors have also proven to be culturally sensitive in their approaches to instruction.
"Yes we are all here to pursue a Canadian education but we also want it to be internationalized so it has significance even when we choose to go back home, so tweaking the curriculum to fit with who your target audience is or who your students are."
As chairperson of the student union, Abubakar also advocates for international student issues.
"My biggest issue in terms of international students is the fact that the B.C. or any government in this country has not regulated international tuition," she said, adding tuition can jump by hundreds of dollars with no explanation or warning. "I feel we're not protected that way."
Abubakar will be returning to Kenya after she graduates in December for the first time since coming to Canada.
But she'll be back. Next up, she's pursuing a graduate program in environment and business sustainability - hopefully again at UNBC.
"I want to integrate, I want to settle," she said. "I guess Canada might be home for me."
