Scott Bergstrome
Director, International Programs
Tel: 250.537.9944 ext 203
Fax: 250.537.9512
eMail:

Dr. Scott Bergstrome brings his administrative, counseling and marketing experience to the Gulf Islands International Program. As a vice principal, he soon learned that understanding is dependent on awareness. His career education experience also revealed the importance of developing a world view; one based on cultural understanding and global awareness. During his doctoral studies in Educational Leadership at the University of San Diego, his commitment to international education was confirmed. As a member of an international cohort, which included students from Canada, the United States and many of the Pacific Rim countries, he witnessed first hand the power and synergy of cultural understanding. Dr. Scott, as the international parents call him, is very proud to be the Director of the Gulf Islands International Program and finds working with international students and their parents the most rewarding and enriching experience of his career.

Sheri Wakefield
Student Services Coordinator
Tel: 250.537.9944 ext 218
Fax: 250.537.9512
eMail:

Sheri Wakefield brings to the Gulf Islands International Program her positive attitude, professional experience as a post-secondary counselor and secondary school career advisor, and caring personality. As a well-educated mother of three boys, she is committed to ensuring that the international students in the program are listened to, cared for and respected. In her role as student advocate, Sheri helps the students in Gulf Islands International Program develop important interpersonal skills and communication skills. She embraces an “inside-out” philosophy that further helps them learn to become confident in themselves and their abilities.

Annika Wenzel knows first hand what it is like to be a student in the Gulf Islands International Program. She also knows what is like to live far away from her home and how to adapt to the challenges of studying in a new school, community and country. Living on Saltspring Island was quite a change from the shops, museums, and theatres that she had grown accustomed to in her hometown, which is only 25 minutes away from one of the largest cities in Germany. Despite some initial adjustments, she literally fell in love with her new island home, as most of our international students do. During a recent return visit, Annika asked if she could be an ambassador for our program and if she could help new students prepare for their cultural and educational adventures on Saltspring Island. Of course, we gratefully accepted her offer, as Annika personified the type of student that our program looks for. During her studies at Gulf Islands Secondary School she worked hard to earn top grades, pursued a wide variety of musical and artistic activities, and joined the community swim team. In other words, Annika was committed to making the most of her Canadian educational experience. She still considers herself a “Saltspring girl” and enjoys the fact that she will always be a member of her host family who love her as if she was their own daughter. Annika has lots of suggestions for future students. She will answer your questions openly and honestly and will offer advice if she thinks it is appropriate. We are very happy that Annika is so willing to share her educational experiences and her community experiences with you, and that she has become part of our team.

Noriko Shimoda is a wonderful ambassador for the Gulf Islands International Program. She serves as a model of what makes our program so special. Although she was raised in the city, she quickly adapted to her new life on Saltspring Island. When asked recently what she liked about living on the island as opposed to the city, she thoughtfully responded that she loved the fact that on Saltspring Island we had a sky and that although the stores closed early she loved that she could “walk in the moon light”. This appreciation for the natural beauty Saltspring Island has to offer helped her explore her creative side. Despite being a hardworking scholar, Noriko excelled in the Art program, and according to her art teacher, she was truly gifted in the visual arts. Noriko was also a force to be reckoned with on the soccer field. Like many of our students, Noriko was determined to make her educational experience a memorable one. She quickly earned the respect of her teachers, the local students, and the international students. Although a little shy in the early months, Noriko was determined not to let this shyness get in the way of her desire to meet new friends, of which she has many. In fact, she recently spent several weeks in Germany visiting friends from the program and hopes to return to Saltspring soon to visit her Canadian friends. Noriko personifies the type of student that we are looking for in the Gulf Islands International Program.  She is a leader, is willing to take risks, works hard, and likes to participate. Her academic efforts resulted in offers to attend university in Canada and Japan. She ultimately chose one of the top universities in Japan. Noriko is now our Student Advisor in Japan and a welcome member of the team. Please don’t hesitate to contact her if you have any questions about Saltspring Island or the Gulf Islands International Program.

Gabriela Marques was a student in the Gulf Islands International Program several years ago and is currently attending university in one of the largest cities in Brazil. Gaby, as she likes to be called, had the choice of going to Vancouver, Toronto or Saltspring Island. She chose Saltspring Island and to this day does not regret her decision. She quickly became one of the most popular students in the school and her community. Her beautiful smile was contagious and she brought some wonderful Latin American warmth to the program. Like Annika and Noriko, Gaby knew the best way to make the most of her Cultural/Educational experience was to “get involved” and work hard. Gaby was a welcome member of the girl’s basketball team and this experience helped her earn many long lasting friendships. Recently one of her Canadian teammates spent several weeks visiting her in Brazil. Gabriela models what it means to be an international student. Aside from her experience in the Gulf Islands International Program, she recently spent a year studying in Spain and traveling around Europe. Despite this travel, she still considers Saltspring Island her second home and is looking forward to coming back to the island soon, perhaps as part of the summer program.  We are very happy that Gaby is working with us in Brazil. She radiates joy, care and understanding. She is wonderfully gifted, both as a person and a student, yet is extremely gracious and humble.  Gabriela will be happy to assist you with your questions about Saltspring Island and the Gulf Islands International Program.

Bruna brought to the Gulf Islands International Program and Salt Spring Island the Latin American charm that Brazilians are best known for. She wrote in her letter of introduction that she "likes smiling". In the year that she spent in the Gulf Islands Program I don't think she ever stopped smiling. Although her studies were important to her, so were making new friends and having new experiences. Everything was an adventure. She still talks about her first exposure to snow when the international students went on their first ski trip of the year. Bruna's personality and zest for life should serve her well in her studies to become a doctor. Like many of the international students, Bruna enrolled in the Peer Tutoring and Acting programs. Not only did these programs help her meet other students, both Canadian and international, they helped gain the confidence to truly make the most of her Canadian experience. Bruna is a wonderful addition to our Student Advisor program. She is loving, caring, but realistic. She will be happy to talk about her Salt Spring experience or help you prepare to come to Canada.

When Sanneke joined the Gulf Islands International Program her main goal was to improve her English skills. She soon found out, however, that the program opened many more doors than she originally expected. As a student in a teacher training program in the Netherlands, Sanneke decided to expand her horizons by joining the Performing Arts program where she learned to express her creative side in a fun, yet challenging way. She discovered acting skills that she didn't know she had. Her sense of adventure and positive attitude helped her gain more confidence as she enrolled in the Peer Tutoring program. As a Peer Tutor she worked with high school students and teachers in the elementary school. This added experience helped Sanneke begin to define her own teaching style and helped her develop a wide variety of instructional skills. Sanneke quickly became one of the most liked students in the school and the broader community. Her smile was contagious. She was so excited about what she had learned from her international experience that she happily volunteered to represent the program in Holland. She thinks the Gulf Islands Program will benefit many young Dutch students who would like to spend a semester or year abroad before entering university or going into vocational training. We are very happy to be working with Sanneke. She is a welcome addition to our team.

Myriam came to the Gulf Islands International Program from a prestigious private school in sunny Mexico. She immediately fell in love with her new Canadian home, so much so that she extended her planned one year stay for an extra year so that she could graduate from Gulf Islands Secondary and apply for university in Canada. She just finished her first year of post-secondary studies in Psychology. When she reflects back to coming to Salt Spring Island, she says it was "absolutely the best decision of my life". Being part of the girl's soccer team was an incredible experience for Myriam. She says playing for the team "bonded her for life with forever lasting friends". Although she notes Salt Spring Island was a small community, she thinks it opened many doors to the future and she still can't get over how beautiful the island was. She stills likes to come "home" to visit the island and especially her "second family", a name Myriam gives to her lovely and caring host family who continue to look after her despite going to university in the city. Myriam is a wonderful young lady with a bright future, hopefully one that will keep her in Canada for a long, long time. She will be happy to share her experiences with you. She knows first hand what it was like to study in the Gulf Islands International Program.

Donna Huang is one of the Gulf Islands International Program’s biggest fans. Since making the move as a Grade 9 student from Taipei to Saltspring Island, she has never looked back. With a smile that makes even a rainy day seem to shine, Donna quickly earned the respect of students and teachers alike. She counts as her friends numerous Canadian and international students and like the other student advisors, Donna is determined to make the most of her Canadian educational experience. Her warm personality and keen sense of humour have helped with the adjustment to studying in Canada and living in a homestay. She concedes it hasn’t always been easy, but that it has been worth the effort. As an important member of the Leadership program, Donna has been an inspiration to the other international students. She has consistently taken advantage of our tutoring and English enrichment programs, which have helped her earn a consistent place on the school’s academic Honour Roll. She has a bright future ahead of her, probably at a university of her choice. Donna also takes advantage of the numerous outdoor activities available to our international students and particularly likes the skiing and snowboarding program.  Needless to say we are delighted that she has volunteered to share her experiences with you.

During her two years in the Gulf Islands International Program, Jessica emerged as a leader in our program, especially with the students from Hong Kong.  She instinctively took them all under her wing and helped them find academic and personal success.  In addition to studying hard herself and earning admission into one of the universities in the Vancouver area, Jessica also looked after the educational affairs of her two younger siblings, who both attended the Gulf Islands International Program and are now attending university in Vancouver. Jessica can be described as a very wise and classy young woman, with a mix of personal warmth and practicality. She knows what it takes to succeed and has the skills to follow her dream of becoming a very successful business woman. We are particularly pleased that Jessica has agreed to help you with your questions. She is very personable, yet highly knowledgeable. She understands the school system and is well aware of the post-secondary opportunities in British Columbia and Canada, which is a real asset when it comes to helping Hong Kong students and their parents. She also knows why the Gulf Islands International Program is a good choice for many of these students.