Immigrant Stories – Settlement Calgary

Immigrant Stories

Have you ever wondered what it's like to leave your life behind, only to start over again? Needless to say, you will never be the same!

The Voices of Calgary Campaign features personal accounts from individuals about their journey to build a new life in Calgary. Hear about the challenges and struggles they faced and overcame, and where they are today.

Creating Opportunities in BioTechnology

Jesse was working in Saudi Arabia as a biomedical engineer with specialized experience. When he first moved to Canada, he had no luck getting interviews or phone calls, until the day he decided to take the risk and create his own opportunities.

Other featured success stories

HR Professional invests time to prove herself through internship

Luisa entered her internship, knowing she would not be paid. She knew the opportunity would let her gain Canadian experience and show people what she was capable of.

Opportunities Lead to Forgotten Dreams

Dr. Susan Li remained optimistic when she told herself it would be impossible to become a doctor again. She never would have guessed that taking on other opportunities would help her fulfill forgotten dreams.

Pursuing passions even when others put you down

Patricia’s dream was to teach again in Canada. Along her journey, many voices tried to lure her away from her passion. Patricia’s own determination let her achieve what many said she could not.

Account knows that challenges are meant to be overcome

Yenny realized how difficult it would be to become an accountant in Canada, but she never felt sorry for herself. She made a plan and tackled the challenges head-on.

Another step forward towards a Teaching Certification

Vanessa had always heard that the field of teaching in Canada was very challenging to enter into as a foreign-trained teacher. Not giving up on her passion, Vanessa eventually took the risk and learned that it takes small steps to keep moving towards the goal.

Networking Within the Medical Field

Dr. Ahadzadeh came to Calgary from Iran with over 8 years of orthopedic surgical experience, but never would have imagined that it would be his volunteering, networks and local references, that would give him the boost needed to get back into the medical field.

Pressing on Towards the Goal

Dr. Castro came to Canada with a background in teaching dentistry and leading a dental clinic, yet started out in Canada as a mailroom clerk alongside 17-year-old teenagers. Watch how Dr. Castro overcame his doubts and frustrations, to refocus on chasing his dreams once again.

Taking First Steps Towards Recertification

Recertification may be a long process, but the journey always begins with the first step! Sajjad was looking for opportunities to re-enter into his field of Counseling, and would have never guessed that his first networking opportunity would appear while taking his kids to school.

The Challenge of Pursuing a Medical License in Canada

The field of medicine may be easily one of the most difficult fields for immigrants to re-enter. But Dr. Raissi was ready and willing to do whatever it takes to pursue her medical license in Canada, and eventually found great success!

Letting go of the past to move toward the Future

When Val first moved to Canada, he was discouraged by comparing his new life in Canada with his old life back home, where he worked as an Engineer. When he began accepting his new life and new home, opportunities began to open up in unexpected ways!

Taking big risks to get big results

By the time Neda’s first job offer came around, she was ready to hit the ground running! There was only one catch: the position was 100% commission based, and as a newcomer to Calgary, the number of contacts she had could be counted with one hand.

Discovering open doors at an engineering hiring fair

Salem found himself travelling back and forth for years between Canada and Oman, as he awaited his Canadian engineering designation to be approved. Until one day, he attended a local engineering hiring fair, where doors began opening for him to enter back into his profession.

Overcoming bleak market outlooks through Networking

Rafi, an investment specialist from India, came to Calgary during a period of oil price crash and was discouraged with the seemingly bleak market outlook. That was until he found a whole world of work opportunities through his new growing network.

Uncovering Articling Opportunities in Law

Ashna had few to no contacts in Calgary when she first arrived. She made cold calls every day to law firms in search of available articling positions, and eventually landed an opportunity that would help her realize her dreams.

Veterinarian re-establishes his dream in Calgary

When Dr. Qi came to Canada, the reaccreditation for veterinarian licensing was very difficult to navigate. He was placed on a two year long waiting list to complete all the requirements. Despite all these early setbacks, he never lost sight of his dream.

Helping others Re-establish their Nursing Careers

Ila came to Canada with valuable experience working in the Post Natal Unit in India and Dubai. Her 2 year gap out of the workforce was a challenge to overcome, but CARNA provided her a way to enter back into nursing.

From Cashier to Pharmacist to Owner

Maher came from the Middle East was a professional pharmacist back home. Starting in Canada as a cashier in a local grocery store, he worked hard and achieved his first breakthrough at the pharmacy department in the same grocery chain.

From High School Math Teacher to Red Seal Mechanic

Vimal was a high school math and physics teacher in Fiji. When he moved to Canada, Vimal made the most of his new life, and decided to pursue his dream of becoming a professional mechanic.

Accountant Realizes Success through Networking

Neha was a designated Chartered Accountant back in India, but was unsure how to navigate the Canadian marketplace, until she found a professional mentor. Through this new connection, she learned the keys to success that would boost her job prospects in Calgary.

Re-establishing a career in Law through Volunteerism

Arriving in Calgary with over 10 years of experience in commercial litigation and white collar crimes, Dami’s strong belief in the importance of giving back to the community, eventually leads her back into her career in law.

Re-entering Counselling through Community Connections

Patricia was a practicing psychologist in Colombia. Through networking around the city, her community connections eventually gave her the push she needed to enter back into her the counselling world.

Building Bridges back into Engineering

Although Isabel came to Canada with over 10 years’ experience back home as a Civil Engineer, it wasn’t until she started building her soft skills that doors began to open up for her in Calgary. This included spending over 100 hours simply working on her resume alone.

This campaign is funded by