Mari Pruden is one of our newest Homestay moms, with a special ELC story!

As with many students at the English Language Centre (ELC), the experience of studying English and also living with a homestay family “stuck” with her long after her 2004-2005 ELC programs ended.  She went back to Japan to complete university, but returned to Canada later and met her future husband, Blair, while attending school in Vancouver.  They got married and living in Vancouver for a couple of years before returning to Victoria.  Says, Mari: “We were quite happy with everything we had there, but I started dreaming about being a host mother and being part of the experience for students, just like the great one I had.”

We’re so happy that Mari is now “carrying on” the tradition of providing a great homestay experience for ELC students.  She became a “host mom” last fall and since then has hosted students from China, Japan and Turkey!

• Posted June 3, 2016