Text: Henna Vanninen
Photos: Henna Vanninen, Maija Koskinen
When Ruby moved from Vietnam to Posio in August 2024 and Ester arrived from Myanmar a few months earlier, they shared one thing in common: a completely new life lay ahead of them.
One had grown up in a metropolis of around ten million people, while the other came from a small village of approximately 10,000 residents. Yet both found a new home in a small municipality in Southern Lapland. “I heard many good things about Posio and Posio High School. For example, there is an affordable student dormitory right next to the school,” Ruby says.
“I thought it was exciting to become the first Burmese student at Posio High School. I had heard that Posio is a peaceful place with not many people,” Ester says.
Although their backgrounds are very different, they value the same things about Posio: peace, safety, and nature.
For Ester, moving to a small community felt natural: “My home village in Myanmar has roughly the same number of people as Posio. That made it quite easy to adapt.”
For Ruby, the change was much greater: “My hometown is truly huge. There are people and buildings everywhere, and you hardly ever see nature. In Posio, everything is the opposite. I believe fate led me here to live and study.”
Moving to a new country means learning a new language, culture, and way of life. However, Ruby and Ester feel they have not had to face these challenges alone.
International students at Posio High School are paired with a local host family, with whom they spend time outside school. In addition, the dormitory supervisor and school staff play an important role in the students’ everyday lives.
“My host family has been incredibly important to me. It feels wonderful to be included and to do all kinds of things together,” Ester says.
Ruby, too, vividly remembers the kindness of local people: “My mother once sent me a package weighing about 20 kilograms. A man I had never met before delivered it to the dormitory in his car. That helped me tremendously.”
Learning Finnish has been an essential part of settling into life in Posio.
“I speak Finnish much better now than I did during my first two years of studies. I understand more, and I have the confidence to use the language, even though the vocabulary required for my studies has become increasingly demanding,” Ester explains.
At first, both students were surprised by some small aspects of everyday Finnish life.
“Finnish food was completely new to me. It took some time to get used to it, but nowadays I really enjoy it,” Ruby says.
“At first, I found it difficult to talk to Finnish people because they tend to be quite reserved. Now I’ve learned how to approach them, and we have many Finnish friends,” Ester says with a smile.
International students in Posio are involved in much more than school life. Many gain work experience while still studying. Ester works at Pentik a few days a week and has discovered a new passion through her job.
“I do a lot of ceramics and handicrafts. I enjoy working with my hands, and the job is really interesting. Myanmar does not have the same ceramic tradition as Finland, so I have learned a great deal.”
The job has also helped shape their plans for the future. Ruby dreams of studying biology and chemistry at a Finnish university, while Ester is interested in architecture and other fields of technology.
However, they both share the same goal: “We want to stay in Finland, continue our studies, and build our future here.”
Pentik’s Factory Director, Tiina Gäddnäs, moved to Posio from Pietarsaari in 2022 for work. According to her, international students have become an important part of both the Pentik work community and Posio’s future.
Each year, Pentik employs trainees and high school students, many of whom have come to Finland from abroad to study.
“Working with students is truly rewarding. They are willing to question things and bring fresh perspectives with them. You are constantly learning yourself as well.”
Over the past few years, the diversity of the student community has grown significantly.
“When students have different native languages, Finnish naturally becomes their common language. That accelerates their integration and also helps them become part of the workplace and social life,” Gäddnäs explains.
For many students, Pentik has become much more than just a workplace.
“Anu has been a bit like a mother figure to many of them. Even after their studies or life have taken them elsewhere, many return to work with us during the summer or busy seasons. Pentik has become a kind of second family for them.”
In the coming years, a significant number of Pentik employees will retire, creating a strong demand for new talent.
“In the future, we will need people in production, retail, administration, logistics, IT, and many other roles. International students represent a tremendous opportunity for us,” says Gäddnäs.
Tiina hopes that more and more students will choose to build their future in Posio.
“All the young people who have moved here are incredibly courageous. They have travelled thousands of kilometres to a completely new country and culture. That demonstrates remarkable motivation.”
Ruby and Ester feel the same way. Over the past two years, Posio has become much more than just a place to study for them. “We have become like sisters to each other. We are grateful for the opportunity to live, study, and work in Posio.”
