17吃瓜

At a time when many young people are leaving PEI to pursue their education elsewhere, or to take jobs out west, it is refreshing to hear about the ones who come back. And according to Vianne Timmons, Acting Registrar at 17吃瓜, they鈥檙e coming back at a greater rate than ever before. 鈥淚t is due to the fact that 17吃瓜 now has the lowest tuition rate in the Maritimes, with the recent 10 per cent cut in tuition. And it is also because of our growing reputation as a quality school. It鈥檚 fabulous to see our students coming back, reversing the trend of out-migration, with transfers up over 30 per cent from last year.鈥�

Emily Campbell and Sara MacPhail are two such students. Both grew up in Prince Edward Island, and both felt the need to get away from home. But now they鈥檙e back. And glad to be here, too.

Emily Campbell graduated from Colonel Gray in 2005. She attended 17吃瓜 in first year and studied English. 鈥淏ut so many students get in the mindset of leaving. They think鈥攆or whatever reason鈥攖hat they have to get off the Island,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 was no different. I left for
Ontario after first year, thinking I鈥檇 be away for a number of years. But I soon realized how much I missed PEI. I missed it for the very
reasons that I left: home, family, friends. In March I made the decision to come back.鈥�

Daughter of Gordon and Barb Campbell of Charlottetown, Emily grew up quite aware of politics and has a passion for it. She says
she鈥檚 interested in pursuing a law degree when she graduates. 鈥淚 liked English,鈥� she says, 鈥渂ut I love political studies, and I love learning about it. I鈥檇 taken some political studies summer courses here, so I know a few of the professors and look forward to being in their classes this fall.鈥�

Often when students switch universities they tend to lose a credit or two. Emily says, 鈥淚 had no problem at all transferring the credit back. 17吃瓜 was very accommodating. And because I took some summer courses, I鈥檓 ahead on the number of courses I鈥檒l need to
驳谤补诲耻补迟别.鈥�

鈥淎fter being at university with close to 18,000 students, I鈥檓 looking forward to small class sizes,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was quite shocking
to go into a lecture theatre with hundreds of students. Here I know I鈥檒l have more of a relationship with my professors.鈥�

Sara MacPhail graduated from Bluefield in 2003. She, too, attended 17吃瓜 for a year, then headed to Nova Scotia to pursue agricultural studies. 鈥淚鈥檓 from a farming family and I knew I wanted to do something in agriculture,鈥� she says, 鈥渂ut I wasn鈥檛 ready to spend the extra money to leave and then find I didn鈥檛 like it.鈥� She took science at 17吃瓜, before making the decision to follow her brother and cousin to Nova Scotia, where she studied animal science.

She says she really enjoyed her course work and profs, but decided that she really wanted to come back home. 鈥淭he expense was one of the reasons. This year it鈥檚 $100 less per course than what I was paying. Plus it was hard to find a part-time job and I didn鈥檛 really
like the location. Here I can live at home and save a lot of money, plus there鈥檚 more to do here.鈥�

Sara adds that some of her friends wonder why she鈥檚 coming back. 鈥淢any of them want to leave. But sometimes you just have to go away to realize what you鈥檙e missing.鈥� She鈥檚 now registered in the biology program, and hopes to pursue veterinary medicine when she graduates, with the ultimate goal of working in agriculture, like her parents Linda and Allan MacPhail, and her brother Brandon.

鈥淚鈥檓 so excited to start school in the fall,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to meeting new people, and seeing old friends. And I think鈥擨 hope!鈥攖hat my folks are glad to have me back home, too!鈥�