Student Profile Series: An Online Search Leads to a New Life at Assiniboine

It was initially her husband’s desire to start a new life in Canada but, for Angelica Solis, it has given her a rewarding career in a new city she has come to love.

“It actually was my husband’s dream to go to Canada,” she says. “I was really skeptical. In the Philippines, I worked as a government employee and, being a government employee in our country means that you have a stable job. I really liked my work there, but my husband really wanted to come here, especially for our kids, to give them a quality of life.”

Her husband, Karl, has relatives in Winnipeg, so they thought they would move there. After some online searches for academic programs she might be interested in, Angelica found the Office Management Program offered at Assiniboine.

“I thought that Office Management was offered in Winnipeg,” she says. “Then I realized, when I got accepted, it is here in Brandon. But I said ‘That’s okay. I came here to study, I came here for the program. It doesn’t matter. Just go for it.’”

Angelica and Karl arrived in Manitoba on August 5, 2022 and the change was an adjustment for them.

“The first few days, of course, we were excited,” she says. “We stayed in Winnipeg for four days, and then on the fifth day, we went here to Brandon. That’s when it started to kick in that, oh, we are alone, we don’t really know anyone.”

That changed, however, when Angelica began her classes one month later.

“Being busy with work and with my studies, things got better and then I got to know my classmates at the college.”

“There are lots of Filipinos here as well. It’s really diverse. You get to meet different people, different cultures, which is nice. You feel welcome. The staff and the people are just so nice, very welcoming.”

Two years later, Angelica is now a graduate of the Office Management program.

“I now work full-time at Assiniboine International, as an administrative assistant for the English as a Second Language and the International Academic Preparatory programs.”

She loves the work she is doing. “I like to help people. So, being an admin assistant at the International office, I get to know different international students, or those permanent residents who are wanting to improve their English language. You get to know people every day.”

Looking to the future, Angelica says that “I really like Brandon. It’s just quiet and peaceful and you’ve got everything you need in here. If you want to maybe go to the city, it’s just a two-hour drive.”

As regards her long-term career plans, she says that “I plan to stay here at the college and maybe, if there will be a position for promotion, an admin officer, I am looking forward to that…. I’m really open to different opportunities that might open for me. I can see myself staying at the college.”

For students who are coming to Canada to study at Assiniboine, Angelica encourages them to “Enjoy meeting different people, and try connecting with different people. If you get to know people, have some connections, you can see opportunities that will open up for you.”

“Enjoy learning every day. Enjoy talking to your classmates and listening to your instructors. Just enjoy.”