The Academic Year Comes to a Close...

...but we do have summer courses available.
You can check them out at http://www.questu.ca/academics/summer_programs.php.

Our first academic year has ended and the students have handed in their papers, packed their bags and embarked on their summer adventures.

Here are some pictures from our Year End Adventure Race. All four floors of the residences competed against each other for the coveted Spirit Cup.

Happy Earth Day!!!

Quest is happy to be celebrating Earth Day with the rest of the world.
Being earth friendly and earth conscious students (and admission counsellor), a few of us did the fun chore of recycling the other day. Here's the proof that it's not so bad. So... RECYCLE...look how much fun you can have. All of the weekly recycling refunds goes towards environmental projects on campus organized by the EcoQuest Club.

This weekend, I participated in the annual Soccerfest. This is a huge event in Squamish. There were over 72 teams that came from all over the Vancouver area. At any given time, there were at least eight games being played and all teams played at least 5 games over the course of the weekend. It was a blast!

Fire and Ice in Whistler B.C.

Fire and Ice is a fantastic event held weekly in Whistler during the winter. It involves a giant ice ramp, a ring of fire, spectacular firworks and a few snowboarders with nerves of steel (see picture below). Since Quest is a proud sponsor of the event, I went to watch the show last weekend and talked with people interested in learning more about our university. Brian Taylor (Dean of Enrollment) and Sarah Siddall (Admission Counsellor) joined me at the event. What a great night we had!

International Dinner and Visit to South America

Before heading off on my travels to Quito, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo, a group of international students joined me at my house for dinner. It was a great opportunity to welcome a couple of new students that joined Quest in the January term. It was also nice to sit together as a group and discuss some of the exciting things and challenges that come with moving to a new country.

I had a wonderful trip to South America. I visited a number of schools and spoke with many students. Currently at Quest, we only have one student from south of the American border (he is from El Salvador). It is my goal and wish that we have more countries from South America represented at Quest, making our student population even more diverse. Below are a couple of pictures I took with some students at the British School of Quito. We were posing while waiting for a webcast to download. While in Buenos Aires, I had the pleasure of having dinner while watching tango dancers perform. Quite spectacular!!!

Hope you enjoyed the holidays!

Quest is about to start it's second term! Most of our students went home for the holidays, caught up with friends and family, ate lots of turkey, and recharged for their upcoming classes.
I was fortunate to have 2 students stay with me during their break. Lhendup (on the left and is from Bhutan) experienced his first ever Christmas with me and my family. Bjorn (on the right and is from Germany) was able to tell me about the differences of traditions between Canada and his home. Here we are after decorating the Christmas tree (note: Winnie, my dog, tried to help too)

My First Visit Ever to Mainland China...

A couple of week ago, I had the amazing opportunity to meet with students in Dalian, Beijing and Shanghai. Here are some pictures of my trip:

Me with two student volunteers at the Dalian Maple Leaf College Fair. I was able to meet with a number of great students wanting to learn more about Quest.

The entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing. Across the way is Tienanmen Square.Inside the Forbidden CityA visit to the Western Academy of Beijing. I was able to see one of our Quest student's former art project that is permanently in the WAB courtyard.

Thailand...what a beautiful country

Amazing temples, gorgeous beaches, friendly people, breathtaking views, delicious foods, inexpensive shopping... Thailand is a wonderful place to visit. Here are some pictures of my trip:

At Wat Pho I visited a temple that holds a large golden reclining Buddha. Wat Pho is the largest and technically the oldest Wat in Bangkok. The Wat is also popular because in the courtyard there is a massage school that offers traditional Thai massages at a reasonable price.

I had the pleasure and privilege of being the first college visitor at Concordian International School. The students were fantastic!!! Dinner at a local restaurant with a prospective Quester, Pink, and her friend.Ah...tuk tuks. So fun and stylish yet a little dangerous. Use with caution :) I had a wonderful meeting with two great students, Yangchen and Pali, from Prem Centre in Chiang Mai. At the end of my visits I had a couple of days to relax and so I went south to Krabi for some quality beach time and...of course, some serious rock climbing.