Home » Success stories

New Worlds in Canada

Many new and attractive opportunities have opened up for Maria Elena since she came to Canada to study, and not all of them have to do with her goal of working in electronics and telecommunications. Perfecting her language skills and learning about new cultures have been part of an exciting time in Vancouver.

At 24, living in Mexico City, Maria Elena wanted to further her education in her field and find more hands-on training. She found the perfect program at Vancouver Community College and made the big decision to come to Canada. Her sister joined her in going to school, but Maria Elena is the one who stayed to gain valuable professional experience.

“Leaving my family was the hardest part,” says Maria Elena. “But I was busy when I got to Canada. I had to complete my student visa application and get ready for my classes. Part of this involved perfecting my English language skills.”

Determined to be able to communicate and succeed in school, Maria Elena enrolled in language classes and began to immerse herself in a new culture. She found that every day brought something new.

“When you first move here, and for at least the first six months, you find that everything is new,” she says. “The weather, the way people speak, the shopping and the academic world. It was more exciting than difficult, and sometimes amusing, even though I found myself constantly adapting to new things.”

Maria Elena must have adapted well. Highly successful in her studies at Vancouver Community College, she was one of the top students recommended for an apprenticeship-like course consisting of work in her field. This led to a job counselling other students at the College.

“After school ended, I knew I wanted to remain in Canada and work in my field,” she says. “I interviewed for a number of jobs, and in one of the competitions, I was selected out of 180 applicants! That job did not work out, but I got another where I am the first woman to work in this position for the company.”

After accepting a job offer and then obtaining a work permit, Maria Elena is now concentrating on getting professional experience in telecommunications and learning to apply the knowledge gained at Vancouver Community College. A graduate degree in engineering may well be the next step.