CORNWALL, Ontario – For the past 10 months, Denis and Tina St. Martin have been host parents to Italian student Domenica Di Lascio.
Di Lascio completed her Grade 12 year at St. Lawrence Secondary School and her host parents wanted to do their part to celebrate her graduation.
Due to COVID-19, no in person graduation ceremonies were possible, so instead, they decided to celebrate Di Lascio’s accomplishment with a parade through the neighbourhood.
Tina St. Martin explained that around 50 people in their cars or on their front lawns drove with Di Lascio through the neighbourhood to celebrate her accomplisment.
“It has been the most exciting experience of my life,” said Di Lascio in an interview with Seaway News. “I found friends and family and everyone was really nice.”
Now reaching the end of her stay in Canada, Di Lascio is preparing to return to Italy and her hometown of Lauria.
She said that she would then be completing her Grade 13 in Italy, and currently hopes to become a doctor one day.
“I always really enjoyed helping others,” she said. “By my host dad makes fun of me because I don’t like blood,” she joked.
Di Lascio said that she really appreciates that experiences that her house parents have given her and all of her neighbours for showing her support.
