Although Dorothy, in The Wizard of Oz, may have thought there was no place like home, for German exchange student Lisa Meck, “home” has come to include more than the place she was born.
The 17-year-old hails from Taunusstein, a small German city located approximately 45 minutes west of Frankfurt. But she is currently living in Barrie as part of MLI Homestay, which matches students from around the world with Canadian families, where they get to experience Canadian culture and traditions first-hand.
Meck arrived in Canada in August of 2021 - into the welcoming arms of her host “mother” Sandra Silberman and her family. She has been attending Eastview Secondary School in Barrie since September.
The Grade 12 student told BarrieToday she was given the opportunity to select where she wanted to study, including which country and city.
“I wanted to do a year abroad, but I didn’t know where I wanted to go. I wanted to be (further) away than just England because that’s very close. (When) I had to choose, there was the whole Trump thing in the U.S. and COVID was very bad, so I thought I’d play safe and go to Canada,” she said. “I’d been to both countries, and I preferred Canada.”
Meck explained that she once had a conversation with someone who spoke fondly of Barrie.
“I thought, it’s not a small city. You have a (college) so there’d be lots of young people, and more opportunities for what you can do.”
Although Meck has participated in much shorter study abroad programs, her 10-month stay in Canada will be the longest time away from home, something the teen admits did initially come as a concern to her family.
“My family was very sad when I left, because my mother was very afraid, of course, but they also wanted to give me the opportunity to do this, so they said to go for it.”
When asked if there was anything “uniquely Canadian” that she loves, Meck told BarrieToday she really enjoys Tim Hortons tea biscuits with her iced coffee - something she noted they don’t have back in Germany.
Silberman and her family have hosted students through the MLI Homestay program in the past and said while it was always something on her “To Do List” she officially got involved after witnessing the positive experience of close friends when they hosted a student from Japan.
She said she was excited about the opportunity to mentor a student from a different country.
“I like the interaction with a student from overseas. You’re interacting with somebody from another culture all together, so it’s an opportunity for them to learn about our culture - being both Canadians and immigrants to Canada,” said Silberman, who was born in South Africa and came to Canada in 1994. “My teenage children are older now … and I like the energy of having students in the house.”
Silberman, who has two teenage daughters, admitted she is going to struggle saying goodbye to Meck at the end of her stay.
“I am going to cry when she leaves. I love her like she’s my own child,” she admitted. “We felt very comfortable with each other from the get go and I think our relationship is definitely stronger. It’s been such a positive experience for our family. With Lisa, there’s no doubt in my mind that we will go to Germany to visit one day," Silberman said.
By the time her year in Canada comes to an end, Meck said she hopes to have developed her English skills enough to excel in her exams back home - as well as having become a bit more independent.
“I still have a host mother who looks after me, but I also am more on my own, which is nice,” she said. “The experience is the biggest thing though.”
Meck says she considers herself lucky having ended up with Silberman and her family, comparing them to a European Premier league football team.
“There are probably like two leagues, and that’s the first league where I am,” she said “There are families that are OK and are probably very friendly but then there are families who treat you like you’re their own child… it’s like a second home in Canada.”
