Romina came to Edmonton in 2022. At the time, she felt it was time to put a pause on her life in Chile for a little while and explore something else, which is how she ended up taking some time for vacation in Canada with a friend’s family.
But this vacation was not what she expected, although she was having a good time, the lack of communication was a problem that she knew needed time to fix, time she did not have. And then something unexpected happened: love came into her life. Suddenly she got to know much more about Canada as he lives in Edmonton, and that is when she decided to apply for a visa to come back to Canada.
Her second time in Edmonton, she decided to prioritize English learning, and that is how she arrived at CCI-LEX in 2025. During this time, Romina has tackled the difficulties of learning English by having a positive attitude and giving herself time to participate in different activities that allow her to practice.
“I knew I could not stay here and live in silence, not being able to go and buy some pants for myself, or not having friends beyond the Latino community because it is hard to communicate […] Now it is different, I’m able to talk, to express myself, whether it is the right way or not.”
Coming to Edmonton to study English is an investment and a change of plans for Romina; she sold her car back home and organized and packed up her life to come here as an international student. “It was worth it, sure thing, I’m going back to Chile, and I will not have a car, but all this effort was worth it”.
Now, if you are wondering how much Romina has learned, we must tell you something special: Romina was one of the winners of My Success in Canada, a writing contest that CCI-LEX organize every year. With the support of Gabi Babalola, her Intermediate A teacher, Romina shares her experience and her dreams: She wants to continue her career as a physiotherapist in Canada.
“If you hear about other people’s dreams, if you share with others what you want, you might feel you are not out of place, maybe it is not such a crazy dream”, that is why she felt compelled to share her story with others, and now she knows her words are going to get to many others through CCI-LEX.